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Is Wal-Mart Destroying America? Facts About Wal-Mart That Will Absolutely Shock You

By Michael Snyder, on July 4th, 2012

America absolutely loves Wal-Mart. 100 million customers visit Wal-Mart every single week in this country. But is Wal-Mart good for America? That is a question that most people never stop and ask. Most of us love shopping in big, clean stores that are packed with super cheap merchandise, but the truth is that Wal-Mart is destroying America in a lot of ways. As you will see below, Wal-Mart has destroyed tens of thousands of small businesses and countless manufacturing jobs over the past couple of decades. Wal-Mart has become a gigantic retail behemoth that sells five times more stuff than any other retailer in the United States. Unfortunately, a large percentage of all the stuff sold at Wal-Mart is made overseas. What that is costing the U.S. economy in terms of lost jobs and lost revenue is incalculable. But Wal-Mart is a perfect example of where our economic system is headed. Our economy is becoming completely and totally dominated by highly centralized monolithic predator corporations that ruthlessly crush all competition and that will stoop to just about anything in order to cut costs. In the future, will we all be working for gigantic communal entities that funnel all of the wealth and economic rewards to a very tiny elite? That sounds very much like how communist China works, and red-blooded Americans should want no part of that. America is supposed to be about free enterprise and competition and working together to build up this country, and Wal-Mart is destroying all of that.

The following are 20 facts about Wal-Mart that will absolutely shock you….

#10 According to the Economic Policy Institute, trade between Wal-Mart and China resulted in the loss of 133,000 manufacturing jobs in the United States between 2001 and 2006.

#11 The CEO of Wal-Mart makes more in a single hour than a full-time Wal-Mart associate makes in an entire year.

#12 Tens of thousands of Wal-Mart employees and their children are enrolled in Medicaid and are dependent on the government for healthcare.

#13 Between 2001 and 2007, the value of products that Wal-Mart imported from China grew from $9 billion to $27 billion.

#14 Amazingly, 96 percent of all Americans now live within 20 miles of a Wal-Mart.

#15 The number of “independent retailers” in the United States declined by 60,000 between 1992 and 2007.

#16 According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Wal-Mart spent 7.8 million dollars on political lobbying during 2011. That number does not even include campaign contributions.

#17 Today, Wal-Mart has five times the sales of the second largest U.S. retailer (Costco).

#18 The combined net worth of six members of the Walton family is roughly equal to the combined net worth of the poorest 30 percent of all Americans.

All over the country, independent retailers are going out of business because they cannot compete with Wal-Mart and their super cheap Chinese products. Often communities will give Wal-Mart huge tax breaks just to move in to their areas. But what many communities don’t take into account is that the introduction of a Wal-Mart is often absolutely devastating to small businesses….

A study of small and rural towns in Iowa showed lost sales for local businesses ranging from -17.2% in small towns to -61.4% in rural areas, amounting to a total dollar loss of $2.46 BILLION over a 13-year period.

Wal-Mart often tells one thing to the public and then does another thing in private. Sadly, the truth is that Wal-Mart does not care about U.S. manufacturing jobs. Wal-Mart just wants to get products as cheaply as they possibly can, and most of the time that means getting them from China.

I was president of the Southwestern Apparel Manufacturers Association. There was a meeting sometime between 1985 and 1990. Walmart had contacted our organization and asked if they could meet with us at our beautiful Apparel Mart we had here in Dallas, which has now been razed, because all the independent merchants don’t exist that used to come to it. Two people from Walmart came down and they said they were going to be sourcing goods from overseas and we would have to meet those prices for consumer products and to get ready for it—we are going to be sourcing the world. Walmart was the only company that came out and said this.

It was sort of shocking: I was selling them some merchandise at the time. On the back of their trucks it was saying “Bring it Back to America!” They had the big “keep it in America” program going at that time on the big signs in the stores. Meanwhile when I reminded the buyer of that, she told me, “that is just for domestic consumption, we’re going to buy at the cheapest we can anywhere on earth.”

We are losing millions of good jobs that cannot be replaced. If you can believe it, the United States has actually lost an average of about 50,000 manufacturing jobs a month since China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.

Last year, the U.S. trade deficit with China was the biggest trade deficit that one nation has had with another nation in the history of the world, and Wal-Mart played a huge role in that.

In fact, Wal-Mart has actually been forcing some U.S. manufacturers to pack up and move overseas. The following is from a recent article by Amy Traub….

Walmart’s market power is so immense that the even the largest suppliers must comply with its demands for lower and lower prices because they cannot afford to have their goods taken off its shelves. Companies that used to manufacture products in the United States, from Levi’s jeans to lock maker Master Lock, were pressured to shut their U.S. factories and moved manufacturing abroad to meet Walmart’s demand for low prices.

Unfortunately, the vast wealth that Wal-Mart is sucking out of our communities is not put back into our communities. The profits are funneled out to Wal-Mart executives and shareholders. We may enjoy the low prices, but very little of the money that we give to Wal-Mart gets recycled in our local areas.

In the old days, you could actually support a family selling electronics or running a general store. But you can’t support a family working at Wal-Mart. The vast majority of the jobs that Wal-Mart creates are very low paying. Large numbers of Wal-Mart employees are actually on welfare, and this is part of the reason why we have seen such an explosion in the number of the working poor in America.

At this point, more than 40 percent of all jobs in America are low wage jobs and the middle class is rapidly disappearing.

If we do not support American jobs and American manufacturers they will continue to go away and the welfare rolls in this country will continue to explode.

There is not going to be any prosperity in this country without jobs. Unfortunately, most Americans simply do not understand how good jobs are being systematically destroyed in America every single day.

The path that America is headed on today is only going to end in complete and total disaster. We are being transformed from a wealthy nation into a poor nation. In the end, we will be dominated by a very tiny elite and everyone else will either be among the working poor or will be totally dependent on the government.

Our system is supposed to be about open, honest competition. But that is not what Wal-Mart is about. Wal-Mart is about crushing small businesses and manufacturers here in America and getting us all to buy their super cheap Chinese-made goods.

So what do all of you think about Wal-Mart? Please feel free to post a comment with your thoughts below….

It’s disgusting. I only go to Wal-Mart occasionally to buy things like envelopes and toothbrushes, but I think I’m going to stop shopping there completely.

Thanks for the informative article.

john

Walmart is the post exchange in our militarized and centralized economy.

xander cross

You tea party members do like to shop at wal-mart on credit cards. Is it any wonder why so many carts are full with food and yet, you survival gear? Then again, you all, including michael, gudio, and a young patriot, will shop there often.

runstowin

Gee, I wonder, are you a stereotyping jerk?

Tobias

I just came from Walmart and got a 16 GB USB Flash Drive for only $8.99 + tax!! and my business is doing great!!!

mondobeyondo

Is your flash drive still working? *giggle*

xander cross

From your past comments, I would talk if I was you. Also, you’re the jerk, not me.

Rancher

Wrong. We have a walmart in town and I have been in their three times in my life. Spent around $100.00 in total before it disgusted me and I was repulsed by the freaks of nature I saw trolling the aisles. Not going back either…

I still do business with the older local businesses in town and will pay a bit more as I stick my finger in walmarts freaking eye.

xander cross

Stop lying and also, since you call people that shop there freaks of nature, perhaps you should talk about the freaks of nature that shop at whole foods grocery store that sells fake organic food and think you superior than everyone else. You’re an idiot.

jeff

You should find yourself a good remedial English class so people can understand what you are trying to say.

xander cross

Speak for yourself.

Joseph

Michael,

I never appreciated Wal-Mart with their predatory prie-fixing purposes, nor have I ever endorsed corporate-cronysm at the expense of U.S.A. manufacturing, yet so many people I run into every day charge up credit cards on cheap Chinese made goods that are low-quality and endorse violations of fair labor and fair trade. The fact that our politicians are financed by these corporations and can dupe and prejudice their way into office is beyond maddening and despicable, it’s unpatriotic to say the least. I purposefully go out of my way to find products I need, yet for me, must be U.S.A. sourced, otherwise I DO NOT touch it, especially clothing. Remember when we had all those articles referencing bed bug and stink bug infestations, look where they come from people! I almost want to rip my hair out over the WTO, NAFTA, and DHS when it comes to jobs. The real unemployment percent is closing in on 25%, yet people are easily lied to in believing that things are getting better, when the only thing that is getting better is how the IRS can raid our hard-earned money and stockholders reaping in insane dividends and expect us to pay for their tax short-comings, when they likely are committing multiple felonies and federal tax offenses.

What are your thoughts?

R.I.P. U.S.A., formerly the land of the free and home of the brave 07/04/1776-12/21/2012

Michael

It is so sad to see what is happening to this country.

Michael

RickS

Come on, Michael. We have far greater problems in this country than Walmart.

Michael

Actually our trade deficit is one of our core economic problems and Wal-Mart plays a significant role in that.

Michael

xander cross

and yet, many of you continue to shop there and calling people all types of names. People like you act superior at places like whole foods store, thinking that you’re better than everyone else.

olmangolf

A holes shop at Whole Foods.

alan

Spot on! I buy only made in the USA, except
for electronics. Everything we make is
so much better in quality that it is well worth paying more for. Wake up American People!
Buy American organic food, a Chevy Cruze
Eco, a Worksman bicycle, and American
Apparel clothing. You’ll make out in the long run.

mad max

One day when we all begin to wake up we will be forced to do something about this mess we are creating. Walmart is just a small part of a much bigger problem we have to deal with. We have to make a decision. We have to do something.

Thankfully, I may have shopped there just twice. I kinda feel like a personal protest – as i think of it tho – it’s just not that close for me. lol. So much for my protest. I shop at TARGET all the so I am sure the trend of the BIG BOX STORE is still the same. Their prices are sooooooooooo cheap and i am on strict budget. they even have price matching if you find it somewhere cheaper. i guess i am addicted to the low prices… oh no, not a slave to something ELSE again. lol mmmmm.

xander cross

People like you make me sick. Thinking that you’re better than someone because you shop at target and orgainc stores. I bet you put all of you items from target on your redcard you damn hyprocrite.

GaryToo

I saw YOU at the whole food store, buying organic tea for YOUR tea party crosswired.

Alasha

ps: Michael it appears you did something to the editing software you use because i can LOL to my heart’s content… instead of the CRUEL message (jst kidding) – “cannot post, you appear to have made a duplicate comment”. LAUGH OUT LOUD…. smile

Washington

I’m Farming and I Grow It is a funny of parody of LMFAO’s Sexy and I Know It by musician Greg Peterson and his farming brothers

Enlightening article! I believe I will start supporting local grocery stores.

Gay Veteran

Wal-Mart is the poster child of what is wrong with “capitalism” in this country.

“#20 The combined net worth of six members of the Walton family is roughly equal to the combined net worth of the poorest 30 percent of all Americans.”

and courtesy of Citizens United that can use that money to BUY the politicians

a cruel accountant

Wallmart is the poster child for Fascism in this country.

NOT Capitalism.

America has not been a capitalist country for 50 years!

Ranchers wife

I live in a small town, we had several small business in town and you could find what we needed even if they had to order it in. Now that Wal-Mart moved in most all the small business have gone out of business ( including where I had worked) And now you can not find what you need Wal-Mart only carries the major items if you need something a little different you have to order online or go 70 miles to a larger town. I use to shop a lot a Wal-mart but I have noticed there prices a inching up all the time. I go to a different grocery store to buy groceries now as they have the sales and I can shop for cheaper. Although I do have to go once in a while since it is about the only store that carries some things that are needed. I do think they messed up small town America. As you said the wages are low and they are starting to get a little pricey

The Claymobile

Michael, another excellant article! You just keep hitting the ball out of the park. I do not shop at “Wallyworld” unless I absolutely, positively, have to. I might go in one maybe once a year. Fortunantely where I live (West-Central Missouri) there is a alternative to Wal Mart. They are called “Dollar General” stores and I buy most of my things there. When I was growing up there were small “mom&pop” stores in the small towns and they were often up on the “square”where the courthouse was. Wallyworld has run all those stores out of business. How sad. Michael if Wal Mart can pay their CEO
$377 Million a year, why oh why, cant they pay their employees a liveable wage?!?!

Michael

Thank you for the compliment.

Michael

davidmpark

They can’t pay them a livable wage as labor is the highest expense in business: normally around 60% or higher for most corporations. It’s just the nature of business.

Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Toys R Us, and the rest of the big boxes keep prices low by working the labor laws. One thing is to keep people at what is called competitive wages. Look up http://www.onetcenter.org, and type in any position under retail sales and you’ll find the median wage info. Most companies pay based on this data rather than via actual performance or ability of the individual.

They also limit training to keep wages low: a trained, seasoned person has more clout and can demand a higher salary or leave for someone else willing to pay.

Deborah

Dollar General is owned by Walmart

Leslie

Are you serious?!

DaytoDay

Very good article Michael.

And sadly, the facts of this article doesn’t do Walmart enough injustice….

I was a former Walmart employee and so I can attest to the low-wage, rampant welfare and dismal work environment that is Walmart.

It should be noted that, the majority of Walmart employees are PART time, and that they make you sign a “Dead peasant” insurance claim, meaning, if you get killed on the job, Walmart (By law) can collect “life insurance” money from you…

It’s a sick joke, and yes you’re right, the majority of Walmart employees are welfare recipients, drug addicts, junkies, you name it… Although there are some decent people working there, it’s sadly, not the case for the majority.

A typical work day would be, employees walking around blasting loud obnoxious music from their Ipods (Including managers), bullying, and your typical workload of 10-1.

For example, I was a stocker/inventory, and I would be in-charge of stocking 3 isles. Now, I worked the midnight shift, and so a workload for 3 isles would be, 7-10 pallets, and 3-5 FULL shopping carts. Depending on where you work in the store (And supervisors) You will either be given a partner or work by yourself, and you’re expected to have ALL of the merchandise stocked and prepped (Looking nice and in-order) an hour before your shift ends.

Well, let me tell you, it’s damn near impossible to stock a thousand items with no help in the amount of time given, and nope they could give two … If you’re (Too slow) or if the managers simply don’t like you, then your out the door…

About 6 months after I quit, I returned to get some items at the store I used to work at, and the guy who was helping me check out (Who was new) Said, “Did you find everything OK?” And I said, “Yea, I used to work here” And he looked at me, with an astonished expression and said, “Wow, you made it out?”

That pretty much sums up working at Walmart.

Roadster

Yay, 4th of July ‘hate porn’ for Gary2.

geezer

Wife works at Wal-fart and has been there for over 5 years. She hired on as Temporary – Part time and she is still temporary – part time. I hear it’s so they don’t have to pay for all the benefits and higher wages that the full timers get. Also she gets a bonus every 3 months, did you know IF someone steals something at Wal-Fart they take it out of the employee’s bonus, if they need new cash registers that comes out of the employee bonuses, if the roof needs repaired that to comes out of the employee bonuses, and if the parking lot needs repainting or re-surfaced that too comes out of the employee bonus money and if they get sued that comes out of the employee bonuses. When she first started for Wal-Fart she got $250 to $300 in bonuses every 3 months NOW she is at a very busy store and her bonus is from $79 to $150 Way to go Wal-Fart…
I told her when her bonus gets below $50 to sign her bonus check and send it back to Bentonville Ark. with a note “Please give this to the Walton fmaily God know’s they need it more than me if that’s all they can afford for a bonus” But she said she would get fired. At Wal-Fart it will cost you to protest. They will NOT accept a doctors note, if a doctor signs a note that you can’t work they write you up for missing work, (unexcused) unless you take a leave of absense for 3 days then they will excuse it. How can they NOT accept a doctors note that you are to sick to work? IF you worked anyway with a doctors note saying you were to sick to work I bet you could have one hell of a lawsuit against them, for not accepting the doctors note, if you fell and hurt yourself being on the job while your doctor said you were to sick to work. The big shots in the store they don’t take a cut in their bonuses when they have stealing or if they have to repair the roof. Now the big push is they keep track of how many items a cashier clicks per hour, they use to be happy with 450 clicks per hour and my wife was all tickled a couple weeks ago when she for the first time hit 600 clicks per hour. NOW they are pushing there cashiers to do 945 clicks per hour. They have one older lady she is a cashier and she is in her 80’s good luck with her hitting 945 clicks per hour, so she is probably gone in a week or two. They don’t care!

Michael

Great comment. Thanks for giving us an insider perspective.

Michael

WalmartProud

What do you mean “great comment?” Everything this idiot said is incorrect. This person is nothing but an uninformed, lazy, unhappy person. And you’re right there in his lane too.

“They have one older lady she is a cashier and she is in her 80′s good luck with her hitting 945 clicks per hour, so she is probably gone in a week or two. They don’t care!”
….lol, ya think?

http://www.povertylinejournal.blogspot.com/ the optimist

The damage for the most part has been done. Too many believe that they are chained to the “low” prices because of their low wages.

Listen folks — this is my call to action: the price tag on a shirt has lots more world-wide consequences than just the price YOU personally pay. Until people understand this and vote for social justice and equality with their own STRONGEST power — the wallet — the exploitation will go on and on.

Alasha

“the price tag on a shirt has lots more world-wide consequences than just the price YOU personally pay.” wat if that is ALL u can afford the optimist… jst saying… mmmm

xander cross

Be very careful what you ask for. you disgust me.

geezer

PS
Did you notice the door greeters are gone at Wal-Fart?
They got smart and figured IF the employees pay for theaft through their bonuses we don’t need the door greeters whose main job was to inspect packages going out the door when they would set off the anti-theft device. NOW no one inspects your packages when you set off the bong bong device at the door. The average door greeter was in their mid 70’s so there went a job that older people could do. Personally I liked being greeted at the door with a “Welcome to Wal-Fart” and they would pass out stickers to the kids they were great, now they are like every other store, bla and bland…
They don’t care!

K

Walmart is the poster child, for what is wrong with this Country. In spite of that, I shop there. They are the only game in town. That is how they have done so well. In most of the more rural counties, Walmart is all there is. I would have to drive an extra 40 miles to find a Target or a Kmart. Gas is not cheap enough to do that. At least there are other grocery stores. So for groceries they do not get my business. In rural America, they built Supercenters, where no one else would even build a store. So now they have a captive customer base.

Otown Right Guy

So you are criticizing them because “they built Supercenters, where no one else would even build a store”. But you complain “now they have a captive customer base”? Walmart did some good buy building stores in the rural areas. They only turned evil when they started demanding American manufacturers move to China to lower their prices.

K

Otown, the reason they built those rural stores, was to have a captive customer base. I hate having to shop there. But in life, you can not always have it the way you want. Using an old conservative Republican term. They are commie sympathizers. For the record, I am an independent.

Michael

And I certainly recognize that sometimes there is not much of a choice (especially in very rural areas) except to shop at Wal-Mart.

My beef is with Wal-Mart and how they are destroying U.S. jobs and U.S. manufacturing.

I certainly don’t blame people when they have to go shopping at Wal-Mart for certain things because many of the other businesses in town have been destroyed.

Michael

Prairie Viewer

People like WMTs affordabilty and recognizable brand names.

jacobdickerson

Power always rules if it wasn’t for walmart it would be somebody else The only thing worse than that would be of a big government ran it

Note from Idaho

Yesterday I drove to a fair sized town. Idaho only has a few of them.

One of my stops was Walmart along with a couple farms stores,parts stores, feed mill etc.

What I saved at Wally World made up my gas money costs for the trip.

Should I feel badly about it?? You have got to be kidding. With my budget and I have a strict budget a trip to Walmart every three to four months makes the difference and allows me to meet my bottom line.

There are many “valid” reasons this country is going down the toilet, saving a few bucks at Walmart is not one of them.

Try buying anything made in the USA,,,on-line or at a brick and mortar store, the local stores are full of Chinese goods.

Most “brand names” tools etc are made in China.

I am not saying I agree with non-USA made goods it is just a reality.

Pavz

That’s the entire point.

Yes, Walmart is cheap and allows people on a tight budget to save a few dollars. American made products are more expensive, while Chinese crap is dirt cheap.

The POINT lies in the fact that if there wasn’t such a massive influx of Chinese garbage on Walmart shelves, there would still be manufacturing jobs in the US. You would be less likely to HAVE that tight budget to begin with and you’d be able to afford American made products due to a stronger economy.

As it stands, out of every dollar you spend there, $.85 goes into the pockets of someone who doesn’t have to lift a finger, $.04 goes to Chinese labor, and $.01 goes back to American workers. There’s no longer a cyclic flow of money in this country. Instead of money flowing back down as wages, money is flowing up and out.

It’s no different than customer service jobs being sent overseas. All your computer problems are now taken on by Rajeesh in New Delhi. Think the HP’s savings from doing that are being passed on to you? NO. Every dime goes into the pockets of the corporate big-wigs.

You’re praising Walmart for saving you from a problem they created, and they’re not even doing a good job at it. They don’t care about you, or anyone.

Walmart feeds off us like a spider. They wrapped us up so we have no choice, we can’t go anywhere else. Now, they’re sucking us dry. When we’ve dried up, they’ll cast us aside. They will close their stores and distribution centers, fire everyone who doesn’t wear a suit, and build new stores wherever the money is.

The Claymobile

Dear Note From Idaho, does the town have a thrift store? You can buy good used items for 10-20% of what it costs retail at thrift stores. Just a suggestion.

Jodi

Walmart sucks, why don’t we call it what it really is ‘China-Mart’. I’m sad to say my family used to shop at Wal-Mart once a week and now I’m proud to say we hardly go there anymore. I honestly think people spend more at Wal-Mart because they sell everything under the sun without ever having to go anywhere else. We use to spend an average of around $150.00 or more a week at Wal-Mart, but about a year ago, a new grocery store opened in our area that we love to shop at and we support it on a weekly basis now. Since that store opened, we save around $50.00 dollars a week and we are no longer spend money on crap we don’t need. It’s truly amazing how much more money we have saved since we stopped shopping at Wal-Mart.

http://www.dogwalkblog.com Rufus Dogg

Walmart could not exist without the underlying social and physical infrastructure that you and I pay for with our tax dollars. Add the amount of “imminent domain” property and tax abatements it is given by state and local governments with each store opening in exchange for promises of new jobs and the amount of parasitic activity is overwhelming. Jobs do move in, but they are low-paying jobs and most employees end up being renters, not paying property taxes which strains the school systems who reply on property tax to pay for schools. These employees can’t not send their kids to school.. and the cycle continues…

Gary2

Wal-mart is the poster child for corporate welfare. Most employees are on state healthcare for the poor and food stamps. all the tax abatement’s etc. Yet people on this site defend the rich and do not want to tax the ************ out of them like the waltons. I would take 90% of their wealth and redistribute to all employees. That would be a stimulus.

GaryToo

walmart does the taxing of the rich itself for you. Just like you object to the owners making obscene money and wanting it redistributed to yourself, walmart objects to the american getting 20$ hr and redistributes those wages elsewhere for 2$ hr.

I have never been to walmart, you vote for that redistribution from your rich self to the REAL poor when YOU shop there.

An American

It is our own fault! IT only expresses the apathy Americans have in general. I am done warning people. We reap what we sow.

Free Trade allowed Walmart to bring lower prices to the masses for food, clothing, cleaning supplies, health/beauty aids and entertainment. It is not really Walmart’s fault that they are in every business where they could find a better price point.

I only wonder what would happen if Walmart could deliver the same strategy to Healthcare, Housing, Transportation/Energy, and Education. Most of these items are the ones that are taking up the bulk of our income and would make a HUGE difference if a way could be found to lower costs.

People shop at Walmart because they cannot afford to shop anywhere else. You can drive all over town to buy just the items on sale at a particular chain but there is a line where the gas cost just does not make sense.

People work at Walmart because they cannot find a job anywhere else. It is easy to suggest they should quit and boycott jobs at Walmart until wages and benefit demands are met. But the irony is while they live on unemployment and food stamps where will they shop? Walmart!

Dave

I see the Amerikan Sheeple (poor,middle-class and wealthy) sing the praises of this traitor mega-korporation. They are never able to connect the dots if you will. Ignorance is bliss in the land of willfull dupes.

bobinsherwood

In answer to your question, “Is Walmart destroying America?”, the answer is no. Walmart is nothing more than the exercise of Free Trade taken to its logical conclusion. If anything is destroying America, it is Free Trade and NOT Walmart, Target, Costco, Best Buy, Dollar Tree, etc…
The American People are also not guiltless. If people were willing to give up their electronic toys, Starbucks, eating in restaurants, and all the other diversions that suck up vast amounts of their disposable income then maybe they could afford the Whole Foods, Macy’s, Nordstrom’s, and other high end retailers for their daily consumables and turn Walmart’s into just another nickel and dime store.

Bob

I know it doesn’t help much but I haven’t purchased from a Wal-mart since July of ’03. Why feed the beast. Any items I need that are made in the USA I buy. I know, it’s hard to find them but with the internet you can. Sometimes you pay a little more and now it looks like we are all going to pay when it comes crashing down.

Rodster

Michael, one thing I wished you had mentioned is how Federal laws have affected large corporations. Whether it’s Walmart, Pfizer or Ford. Large corporations are always looking for the cheapest way to do business.

If you have laws in place that increase labor cost, there companies that will not be able to match Walmart’s asking price so they will go elsewhere and typically China.

Playing Devil’s advocate there’s 15% of suppliers who have found a way to do business with Walmart. I think the key is all the laws and regulations impsed by the Federal Gov’t that make mediuym and large businesses uncompetitve.

1% fan

I am going to have to start shopping at WalMart more. It’s out of my way but worth driving to make a statement about.

http://www.kelseiscreations.com Rita Richards

I had to post this write up on my FB page and I hope people will read it. I hope it will make some of the people stop and think.? When I read about the Apparel Mart in Dallas, I think that is what did it for me. I have been there many times, but it’s been years and now I find out that Wal Mart is the cause of it going? That is SICK!! That place was amazing.

Jessica

Rita- The Apparel Market closed in Dallas, but all of the vendors moved to the larger Trade Center accross the street. So, the vendors didn’t go away, they just moved. The apparel mart was old and in need of serious renovations.I have been attending “market” to buy clothing/products for a boutique since 1990. For the first 10-12 years it was in the Apparel Mart, but then it moved. If anything there were more vendors and manufacturers represented in the newer trade center. I’m not sure the quote in this article from the 80 year old manufacturer is real nad if it is, it’s facts were not confirmed.

Stop the maddness

Oh boy oh boy, Michael,
What are you doing to your blog?
The Walmart story has been going on for so long, its been featured on 60minutes, towns and cities all over the US have fighting proposed Walmart sights for years now.
Michael you are brilliant, I place you in the same category as Gerald Cellente, Peter Schiff, Mark Farber, Rubbini, thats quite
But your stories are becoming yesterdays news.
Michael you must get yourself an assistant. You need time off, to recharge, refesh, even God rests on the 7 day

shogun_01

thank you walmart for bringing your garbage to canada, and killing the competition while your at it. they are like a parasite that sticks onto a small town and sucks the life out of it until the town is dull, gray, and uninteresting

a cruel accountant

madeintheusa.org

grandpa

Death to wall mart.

Tony

Is spend $100.00 in Wal-Mart a year that would be stretching it. I can’t stand the damn place. In fact the last thing I bought from Wal-Mart was a Black and Decker can opener. It is a worthless hunk of junk. Without anything in it it sounded like a tank throwing a track. It didn’t sound much better with a can in it. Problem is to it may or may not open the can… Black and Decker must not give a damn about quality anymore. Yep made in China. I’ll never buy any Black and Decker merchandise again

Otown Right Guy

Black and Decker used to make quality tools right here. You are right, now they are throw-away Chinese-made junk.

davidmpark

It’s more than just supporting and buying US made goods; it’s too expensive and annoying to make anything in the US right now.

There are too many “protections” made on industry to the point that only gov prospers from your hard work. And these protections give way to crushing regulations. If I started a manufacturing business here, now; I’d have to hire two separate sets of staff – the ones to make and sell the product, and another to handle the governments and special interest groups.

I completely agree that “Our system is supposed to be about open, honest competition.” That’s exactly why I refuse to make anything for sale, and use it solely for mine own home. Everything I make is what I earned through mine own study and labor. It’s mine stewardship by the grace of God: and I will treat it that way! The livestock, the harvests, the orchard, the machinery, the power plants, the mini factories… it’s not the commune’s property – they did nothing but wait to steal it and cannibalize my mind and labor!!

Wal-Mart is doing what it needs to do to keep market share and profits high. If going with US made products is more profitable than Chinese commie slave-labor garbage, then Wal-Mart would sell US goods. They pressured those manufacturers to keep prices lower than competition’s – that’s business. Problem is the Clinton Administration is responsible for opening Communist China to US companies and allowing them to peg to the dollar without giving us recourse. Then those restrictions placed on manufacturers earlier pretty much shepherded them overseas or out of business. We did this to ourselves!

Best thing to do is to cut ties with China. They must abolish communism before we trade with them. Second is to end this stupid fascist corporatism and return to a Constitutional Representative Republic that is acknowledged by both the people and the governments. Third, is to end the Keynesian monetary system and allow people to earn for themselves instead of forcing us into a collective ideology. If these conservatives and libertarians do this, and maybe I’ll open some factories.

By the way; no, I’m not conservative, libertarian, liberal, progressive or anything else: I’m a man, made in the image of God and educated by Jehovah.

Just Bob

Your largely an ignorant fool who is ranting incoherently about things that will not remotely happen.

jasonbucha

Today i shopped at ace hardware and paid a little more but employees were very helpful. I felt good shopping at my local hardware store

Aliceinwonder

Good point. In our area we have a locally owned store that has hardware, gardening supplies, clothing, some food items, general supplies. I shop there first and always will. WMT would be thrilled to put them out of business, though. But our area is blue collar and we love our home-boys so we all shop there. There have been middle of the night emergencies where I have had to go to WMT, but they happen maybe once or twice a year. Otherwise I avoid that place like the plague. After I do shop there I feel like I want to go home and take a shower to wash the communism off.

The Claymobile

Good for you!

Rodster

Excellent.point. In fact I read that Walmart is testing healthcare and dental services. I go there for eye exams as it’s cheaper like $35 for a full eye exam whereas it would cost me around $300 for a similar eye exam.

The doctors there donate their time and give back to the community so it’s appreciated.

Aliceinwonder

You must have had one with a decent eye doc. Ours sure didn’t. I was misdiagnosed and had terrible headaches. He told me I just needed to get used to my glasses. So it cost me even more to go to a REAL doctor. When I told the WMT doc he had misdiagnosed my vision problems he just gave me a blank stare. I cannot imagine how many kids he messed up. You get what you pay for and if you go to WMT for any type of health issues, don’t plan on a successful outcome. Go to a qualified health professional…not a dime store doctor.

Evie

I have worked at target. These discount stores are all the same. They value their customers only when they are buying their junk and do not even try to bring it back.
They value their employees as long as they are cheap and do not give them a hastle.
I am sickened to even have to ask for this kind of job.
It is not a job,but a joke.
The only good these kind of jobs serve is for people to supplement ss or welfare. You will not make a living.
After 9/11 these so called pillars of capitalism began laying off people to save money. Used ratial intimidation and whatever they could to get rid of higher paid employees and people who had children with autism.
Do not even get me started on these scum buckets.

RickS

Why don’t you open a store based on your ideals: high prices, high wages, and quality merchandise. I bet this magic formula will wipe Walmart and Target off the map within the decade.

Or, if you don’t like to work at these places, don’t. If you don’t like to shop at these places, don’t. That will put them out of business, right? No? That’s right because millions of other people don’t see it your way. So, it’s not really Walmart and Target you despise, it’s the millions of people who continue to shop, work and support these stores that you really don’t like.

http://google conservanator

Wal-Mart and just about everything else you cover is just part of an evolutionary disease. You try and make a case for reversing all these perverse trends, but there is no hope. Call me a pessimist, but this is the reality. When Obama is reelected, and he will be. Voter fraud will put him over the top, and the Armageddon Express will keep hurtling towards the cliff at 100 MPH. If Romney were to somehow win, the only upside is that the train slows to 70 MPH. Buckle up, folks.
Instead of being consumed with “The Hunger Games” the
clueless, niave and uninformed useful idiots of this country should check out “1984” for a glimpse into their future.

mondobeyondo

No, Wal-Mart is not destroying America. We are destroying ourselves by shopping at Wal-Mart. We have a choice. No one is pointing a gun at the population and forcing you all to shop at Wal-Mart, or Ikea, or a thousand other places. It’s a free country. You could just as easily shop at Target, or K-Mart. But many of us Americans shop there. WHY?

“The savings and low prices are incredible! It’s irrestible.”

A-haaa! Gotcha!

Gary2

There is a very high cost to low prices at walmart. I read a book a few years ago called “The high cost of low prices”

Walmart exemplifies the race to the bottom.

The tee shirts and clothes they sell are crap and do not last. The ****** is mostly junk.

Michael

Gary:

It was also a documentary as well, and it was excellent. If you want to learn more about how Wal-Mart destroys communities you should check it out.

Michael

i’vegivenup

I NEVER shop at Wal-Mart. Hate them and that includes Sam’s Club. You are spot on with this blog Michael!

Michael

Thank you

Michael

bobcat

It is past tense. Mal*Wart has already done us in. It’s only a matter of time before we burn through our national wealth. Mal*Wart led the way in forcing it’s vendors and suppliers into the outsourcing which destroyed our domestic manufacturing. Entire industries have been outsourced such as consumer electronics. This caused the loss of untold numbers of high paying jobs in manufacturing, engineering, clerical, administrative and other areas.

My blood boils every time I hear someone blame the consumer for this. It is all about increasing the profits for the CEOs and their sycophants. Their overreach will eventually be their undoing. Mal*Wart is already being paid in food stamps and most of the patrons and customers exhaust their paychecks before the end of each month. They can no longer afford the everyday low prices. Mal*Wart is impoverishing it’s clientele and it’s employees.

Cinderella Man

Check out Wal-Mart the high cost of low price a documentry on Netflix. Really opens your eyes about this savage ruthless corporation. My mama worked for them for a few years and they never paid her overtime. Besides the union busting chineese exploitation of labor, the decimation of main streets in small towns, lack of protection for customers in the parking lot, the tax breaks given to this company think of all the teachers that could keep their jobs? Wal mart makes me sick I refuse to spend a dime in that shithole and havent since 2006 after watching the above mentioned documentry. I cant with a good conscience shop there after seeing the way they treat their employees, their communities, and their country. Always Low Morals…ALWAYS!!

nococidences

Occasionally I shop there only when I am forced. My 25 years old daughter stopped me from shopping there 11 years ago as a objector to human and union and constitutional rights of a mostly woman workforce due to their greed and Government supplementation of profits in lieu of actually feeding their employees, with a profit margin like that, they can, but won’t.

Joe

They have already won. Does’nt matter where you shop, All American brand name or no-name, most everything is foreign made now. Its go foreign or go without. Our computers are mostly Chinese. I work in a machine shop and certain tooling and bearings and other industrial hardware cannot be bought USA made and USA made hardware and tooling is getting very hard to find.

I can’t understand how China can make and ship a product across the Pacific Ocean and then even after the retailers mark up it is cheaper than I can buy the raw material to make the same product. You can buy Chinese metal products almost cheaper than their scrap value. When the scrap value goes higher you guys know what to do.

de Malfosse

How many of you remember when Wal-Mart advertising used to emphasize the amount of “Made in America” products carried in their stores? When Wal-Mart used to run TV commercials highlighting how they worked with small American entrepeneurs to get Made in America products quickly to market?

Mortar Magnet

Wal-Mart will be on top of the trash heap when the price of energy sky rockets to the point where the costs to import junk from half way around the world won’t add up to any savings for anybody.Then factor in the typical store location 15 miles out of town,the downtrodden people surely aren’t walking that far and carrying home much of nuthin! With Iran in our sights,this will be the beginning of their end.

GaryToo

you nailed it, import export will have to go out in sailing ships.

Georgiaboy61

Re: “If Wal-Mart was a nation, it would have the 23rd largest GDP in the world.” This may be the single most-important item in your fine story. A multinational corporation more powerful than most of the world’s nation-states – that should sound the alarm for any sane, rational reader. Why? Because the leaders of this behemoth are unelected and all but unaccountable. True, they are subject to the discipline of the market – but since most shares are traded in huge blocs owned by other large to very large businesses and organizations, there are few checks on their behavior and conduct. This company should have been broken up in anti-trust lawsuit a long time ago. In principle, it is always dangerous to allow a single corporation this much power – no matter how much “good” it does. Citizens have one course available to them – stop shopping at Walmart; go there only when there is no other alternative. Vote with your dollars.

ric perio

What can i do? I bought a dodge caravan knowing it’s an American car only to find out it’s made in Canada. We will be all looking for cheap products if our income won’t be enough to survive. It all ends to how much our take home pay is. Not to mention INFLATION, MEDICAL INSURANCE, MORTGAGE, ETC.
Things just went out of control. Carefully engineered economy. I feel really bad I am not a smart engineer who can turn this things around. I myself am waiting for another suppose to be “CHANGE”.(ONLY LEFT WITH DISAPPOINTMENTS)
I am also busy with my gadgets and watching AMERICAN ID”T. Manufacturing companies are replaced by casinos. This is how America has become.

davidmpark

Just one more item:

We bought some garbage from Wal-Mart a few years ago. I knew it was garbage, but I consented to keep the wife happy as we had begun suspicions of her health. Kids just finished breaking it all a few weeks ago.

The last to go was a home entertainment center. The shelving gave way from a split drink, and crashed down with some books, that took out the lower shelves.

The thing was made from supports of plywood with a cherry stained, wood patterned sticker. The shelves had the same stickers over 1″ thick cardboard. The back was sheet of cardboard.

I made a new one. Not fancy looking as it was mostly of 2X4’s and OSB. However, to test it out, I had all three kids get on the lower shelves and jump up and down; followed by the upper shelves. Then they had to whack it anywhere, repeatedly with hammers. The new furniture didn’t even make a creak. The wife then climbed up and had a few jumps. I even whacked it with an 8 lbs. sledge and not a single splinter.

Is it working? Yep! Is it pretty? Not much, but it has ‘charm!’

You want cheap garbage – go to Wal-Mart. You want something good and done right – find a craftsman.

Nexus789

Walmart has done two disastrous things for America. The first is transfer its supply chain off shore to China and elsewhere and close down whole chucks of US manufacturing, or force US manufactures to open up Chinese operations resulting in US job loss and the elimination of US made products. The second impact has been on local communities as it has destroyed local commerce and eliminated the recycling of monies in those communities.

This has resulted in a decline in local economic activities and the loss of cohesion of local communities. In the past US Administrations would invoke anti trust provisions and break companies like Walmart up. Walmat is very destructive on many levels – low incomes, low skill opportunities, crushing local commerce, closing down manufacturing, dubious practices, etc. The only winners are the owners of Walmat, its senior managers and shareholders – everyone else is crushed.

Paul

“are dependent on the government for healthcare.”

That’s not correct.

Correct is:
The health costs of employees of Wal-Mart are paid by the tax payer.

As a result Wal-Mart owners can have more profit.

And no, I am not surprised, nor does it shock me. We learned about this in school. At that time it was called “communist propaganda”.

FeralCat

“Shame on Wal-Mart. They are an un-American disgrace.”

Quite the contrary – they are very American, like George Patton and Joe DiMaggio. Real Americans love a winner.

Michael

Do real Americans love communist China?

Michael

Paul

It’s not about love for China.

It’s about profit.

China understands it.

A.S.

If you are suffering from low wages, what choice do you have? If over 50% of your wages are spend on food, every dollar counts. Pretty soon only superstores like Walmart will be the only retailer of food and clothing. I just watched the video about Walmart on youtube and it made me depressed.

Americans are soon headed for something like $1 per hour wages as wages in China increases to $1 per hour. You say, ah, but there are minimum wage laws. Well, Walmart could bride Congress into getting rid of ALL labor laws. There may be a victory here and there, but the fact remains that Walmart is growing. All they care about is profits and their stockholders.

The Walton family, CEO, managers, and stockholders are truly evil. Especially the CEO! Almost 28 million per year! I bet most honest and decent managers from other companies would be willing to do the job for 100K per year and give the rest to employees in the form of higher wages (how about 20-25 per hour) and all inclusive health care for all employees and their families. There is no repentance for such actions. They have too much blood on their hands.

GSOB

A.S.,
Hi.
Food for thought….
We all are evil and yet we know how to give good things or gifts to our children.

So, having wealth in and of itself is not evil… as you seem to
indicating that it is.

“and stockholders are truly evil. Especially the CEO! Almost 28 million per year!”

A.S.

you call cheap plastic stuff made in China being “good things or gifts or our children?” Why not focus on things that really matter, like quality time with your kids? Go for a family bike ride in the countryside. Go camping in what remains of a clean nature reserve. Even reading a few books at home is better than giving them a brain-killing video game.

and where did I imply having wealth is evil? but focusing on attaining possessions is evil. wanting more and more and even going into debt to attain it is not good for your soul or your family’s future.

Paul

Do you vote in America?

Whom did you vote for?

If 30% only go to the polls, and half of them is voting for Reps and the other half for dems, what would happen if the 70% non-voters suddenly voted for the yellow, purple, pink or green party?

A.S.

In today’s world it does matter who you vote for. All of them are bad except maybe for Ron Paul. Even his son Rand lost his way. We need a president that will on his first day accomplish at least three things:
1. Kill the Federal Reserve.
2. End all of our wars and bring back ALL of our troops.
3. End most of the abc agencies like CIA, FBI, IRS, FDA, FCC, etc.

We need to go back to traditional American values before most of this mess started, like pre-1913.

At the very least kill the Federal Reserve. Once we have a debt-free, interest-free, gold/silver backed currency, we will never again have problems caused by evil global bankers. It is that simple.

blueridgeviews

It’s not the responsibility of a private business to worry about lost American jobs. They need to worry about making a profit and staying in business.
Walmart is doing what they do best, bringing low cost goods to the consumer.

The Federal Gov’t is the one responsible for not allowing foreign countries with slave wages to crush American businesses.

There used to be a thing called tariffs to keep the imbalances of currencies from killing domestic businesses. Bush used it to stop the Chinese from killing the steel industry back in 2002.

Nowadays all the politicians sing in concert about free trade. How is a person in China making $2/day going to buy something made in America at $8/hr?

Is this free trade?

Paul

It’s not the fault of those countries.

It is the fault of those rich in America Gary2 wants taxed and who are protected by liberty and freedom loving Americans.

BTW, would you buy something you made yourself in America? If you earned $25 per hour, would you pay for a massage $40 per hour?

And how much of those $40 go into the pocket of the masseur?

Could he buy those products you made? If not, who could, and how could he get paid for it in the first place by you or the masseur?

Ricardo Santos

@jacobdickerson
“Power always rules if it wasn’t for walmart it would be somebody else The only thing worse than that would be of a big government ran it”

True, thus the solution is the division of power. The more the power is divided the more the smaller powers need to compete between themselves. Because of this. Is better to have 10 stores employing 10 people each than to have one store employing 100 people.

Offer and demand (capitalism) only works when there is more than one making the offer. This is specially truth on things that are needed for our day to day survival.

Aliceinwonder

I did 8 years in a Wal Mart. They are a totalitarian company. As an ‘associate’ you are a work animal. You are to devote your life to them. Your family comes second. It is almost impossible to get a second job as your schedule will change constantly and Wal Mart is to be considered your primary #1. They do not want long term employees and the culling of the herd is done often. We used to call the first of the month Eagle Sh*t day because we would be flooded with the welfare recipients who would come in and fill their carts with things we could only dream of being able to purchase. They totally trash the store. Many of our associates were on medicaid as they could not afford WMT’s health insurance premiums. How nice billionaires can dump their employees on the tax payers. Their 401K plan has no match system. No one can afford to put anything into it anyway. Wal Mart encourages, promotes and manipulates Americans into the consumerism mentality. Buy it cheap, it breaks, throw it away, go back to Wal Mart & buy more. And more. And more. Spend, don’t save. Their favorite sport is Black Friday when they watch the American idiots trample one another to get a few cheap Chinese plastic items. And as with any sport, sometimes there will be injuries or death. During Black Friday Insanity, I have seen associates pushed to the floor and stepped on, broken fingers, a broken arm, multiple contusions and a dislocated shoulder. While in their employ you do not DARE say one bad thing about the company or you will be dragged into the office, the door will be shut and LOCKED where the manager and assistant managers will try to twist your mind out of your skull. Assistant mgrs have to do a certain amount of required ‘coachings’ (disciplinary actions of work animals) in their first year so they will set you up for the fall so they can make their quota. It is demented, twisted and sick. I am thankful to be out of there. I do NOT shop there. And save more money by going other places and get truly healthy food. BEWARE OF WHERE YOUR FOOD COMES FROM WHEN IT COMES TO WAL MART.

Zoltanne

Walmart is facing charges of bribery in Mexico.

Walmart isn’t a store, it’s a lifestyle.

Tatiana Covington

Bribery: private arrangements between free people, of which and of whom an armed gang of nosy thugs disapproves.

Connovarn

Stop buying ******** you don’t need and only buy good stuff sourced locally. Eventually this is what we will all have to do as peak oil bites.

markthetruth

Doesn’t shock me Michael

It’s called “The Mafia”

and we have the TOP BRASS running our country …

The Chicago Mob is our government and now owns our highest The Supreme Court…

USA will equal the movie The Godfather…

Don’t look now but just before Peter Higgs(atheist) croaks he finds a God Particle ?????

“For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible . . . all things were created by him and for him..

“I don’t need any evidence! I have faith!”

Take your Company, Wasted billions and your tiny speck of dirt and go to Hell………

the end.

Markthetruthisretarded

The god particle has nothing to do with religion you moron.

Brian

oh please, you sound like an idiot with your wild accusations of the chicago mob owning the supreme court!!

what, because a conservative justice’s vote to affirm the constitutionality of a healthcare mandate?

it’s not known as the god particle, someone just coined that term out of higgs calling it the goddamn particle that he couldn’t find..

get back on your meds and soon

Paul

I think you are morons. Walmart is the greatest American success story of all time. If Americans want better jobs, they need to understand,they need to be better then their counterparts in China. It is a global economy and there is no putting that cat back in the bag. If Walmart had not done this some foreign company would have. Get over it and use your brains to think and serve customers better.

This article is about nothing more then jealousy.

Michael

Paul:

Okay, so are you willing to work for less than they make at the factories in China?

And anyone that advocates trading with a country that has a one-child policy, that regularly forces women to undergo forced abortions and that bulldozes independent churches should reevaluate their position.

Michael

http://www.OlGreyGhost.Blogspot.com Ol’ Grey Ghost

Gee, Michael, I never thought I would see you engage in wealth-envy. All your complaints about Wal-mart were once made about Sears, K-mart, and J.C. Penney. Sears and K-mart had to merge to survive and JCP is going down the toilet. With free-competition, which rarely happens in America anymore, everyone gets there chance at the top.

Why does Wal-mart shop overseas? Because that is where the products that Americans want to buy are produced at the lowest prices, always. The U.S. government, through minimum wage laws and union-supporting programs, has overpriced the American worker. Sellers of commodities compete with each other by bidding down. Labor in America is not allowed to compete because of the artificial price floors the government has put in place. Remove them and there will be no involuntary unemployment and the products manufactured in America will be able to compete on a global scale. Americans might even want to buy them themselves if the level of quality goes up…

Michael

I have no problem with people making gigantic piles of money. I am one of the most pro-capitalism people you will ever come across.

I do have a problem with companies that destroy U.S. jobs and U.S. manufacturing by partnering with evil communist regimes.

If Wal-Mart only bought American products and did not treat their workers like dogs then I wouldn’t have too much left to complain about.

Michael

Old Man

“I do have a problem with companies that destroy U.S. jobs and U.S. manufacturing by partnering with evil communist regimes.”

US opening to China has been cornerstone of foreign policy since the Nixon-Kissinger visit in the 70’s. No U.S. president, nor Congress, has reversed that policy. In fact, they have accelerated it, deepened it.

When Reagan arrived, he expanded U.S. military with a $4 trillion expenditure, specifically targeted the USSR as the Evil Empire and set to bring it down. Reagan did not do 1% as much against China. So who is the ‘evil’?

If you apply morals to trade policy, no country will ever trade with any other country.

Today, America falls way below China in terms of perceived danger to the world, and in terms of deep political corruption and cultural rot. If each country of the world applies its morality to America in trade, as you do to China, American global trade will grind to a halt. And that include the vast defense trade and financial trade, a substantial decrease of which will surely bankrupt America (for real) in no time.

This being said, I do advise against you putting your high-morality to the face of any Chinese people. They will ask why a bunch of ‘manifest destiny white supremacist’ from a 2.5 century old country founded on slavery and wars dare to question anything about a country with 40 centuries of continued civilization.

http://www.OlGreyGhost.Blogspot.com Ol’ Grey Ghost

“…(D)id not treat their workers like dogs…”

I know plenty of people who work for Wal-mart and they say the only people who treat them like dogs are the customers who complain about prices on some products going higher, usually due to more interference in the market by the government.

Henry Hazlitt’s “Economics in One Lesson” explains why just about everything Wal-mart does, outside of lobbying the governments of the U.S. to interfere in the market more, is okay and just about everything the governments do is wrong…

Gay Veteran

“…The U.S. government, through minimum wage laws and union-supporting programs, has overpriced the American worker….”

eyeroll, why do you think the middle class grew so much after WWII?

like Ol’ Grey Ghost is going to work for $2/hour

Steve Barnett

Here’s why it sucks for what Wal-Mart does. If they bought everything in America think of the jobs it would produce. Maybe their profits would go from 20 billion a year to 10 billion. Isn’t that enough? Do the Waltons need more money? Think about it…I can see Wal-Mart refusing to pay someone here $20 to make something when they can get them to make it in China for $12. They are a filthy rich company. They could pay the workers $12 an hour and buy their products here and the country benefits.
But I don’t even shop there. I know people who go there every Saturday where they socialize and it makes them feel impotent.

Ed

Are you7 saying I cannot buy or se;ll from whoever I choose? Hmmm.

Saq

^^^^^ So says the Walmart Executive^^^^^

GSOB

This guy is a capitalist.

mondobeyondo

Quality still matters to the American consumer, very much so. But when you’re in an economic bind, as many Americans are, price and affordability trumps quality. Would you pay twice as much for an American product that lasts twice as long as something Wal-Mart sells that was made in China? I would, but I don’t have the money to buy the American made product.

That’s if you can even FIND the American made product!! China has beat us at our own game.

Leslie

Reading this article made we realize that as American consumers we have not only allowed this monopoly to form, but we are responsible for encouraging its development and built it’s “market power.” I usually only try to buy my name brand hygiene, cleaning and laundry detergent products (that I cannot seem to replace with generics as the quality really does not compare). My response to this article as a consumer is to tell the Walton family to GFYS because I am taking my buying power somewhere else! However, Thanks to the Walton family, there really is no “somewhere else” to shop, because they have done an exceptional job of eliminating all competition and put all of the family owned “Mom & Pop” shops out of business. It is even more devastating to consider, why our government ever let this corporation gain the momentum of destruction that it has. I consider myself a conservatist, and am really peeved that the government wants to put there 2 cents in when they shouldn’t, but sits back and scratches there a@#es when they should have placed strict trade regulations against the country that has a trade surplus with our nation!

Leslie

And as for purchasing items that are actually made in America?!!! That’s a joke! Because it would be like looking for a needle in the proverbial haystack since U.S. corporations have outsourced all of our textiles overseas! Nothing is made in America anymore… I picked up a t-shirt a few months ago with a screen print that said, “MADE IN AMERICA” but when I looked at the manufacturer’s tag it said, “Made in Vietnam! Old Navy is another chain that buys everything from overseas, and the sad lot of it all is that the suppliers have made da@# sure that you cannot buy American anymore

Daniel

Have you checked Home Depot? They sell mostly overseas stuff as well. How about Tool King? Just try to find a cordless drill that’s made in the USA. Double dare ya1
It’s not just Wal-Mart, it’s nearly every store. The fault lies in the entry of China into the WTO. Let’s look at the real cause, the bastards and whores in CONgress and the selling out of America by our Government.
Let’s not forget who was behind the false flag attack on America on 911!
Why don’t you wake people up so they have knowledge and can unite and force, FORCE, change in Washington, District of Criminals.

John W.

Bed Bath and Beyond has to have the record for crap made overseas. About the only US made product is the K-cups fpr the Keurig coffee makers that are all made overseas. Virtually all crafsman power tools are made in China. We want a First World lifestyle yet only have third world wage level jobs. This is one of the main reasons the country is so broke. Champaign tastes on a beer budget. Without the deficit spending we would resemble Mexico which in many areas we already are.

Orange Jean

I agree with you… some people on this site have made comments about going to alternative stores like Whole Foods (I used to like them, when I could afford it… but lately I’ve noticed they have been significantly increasing having produce from Mexico – which I wouldn’t touch with a 10′ pole; since I know too much about food-borne outbreaks that originated in Mexico) … or other stores like the higher priced department stores (Macy’s etc.) – but what I’ve seen is when you look at the tags, it’s still 99%-ALL from China… in the “high end” stores you just pay more for the same crap.

And I like to sew, now it’s nearly impossible to find fabric made in the US. I did recently found one place where I got some good organic cotton jersey, but the cost of the fabric enough to make a long sleeve T-shirt (with about 4 hrs of my labor not counted in) was about $60. Compare that to the typical $15-30 max cost of the crap from China (or in some cases Thailand, Vietnam, Hondoras, Mexico, etc), and it’s not surprising a lot of people end up buying at the so-called “bargin” places.

I also notice that MANY of the exact same items that are sold in Walmart (things I tend to buy there, toilet paper, dish & laundry detergent) are the exact same brand sold elsewhere, only sometimes cheaper. How is buying a pack of Scott toilet paper any different if you buy it at the grocery store, Kmart, Target, or Walmart (other than price)?

Note from Idaho

Most of the comments show that we have bought the MSM/Leftwing jargon braininwashing us into thinking businesses/corporations etc are suppose to be Social Welfare agencies.

The “good” companies are suppose to provide everything to their employees from babysitting services to mouthwash.

Come on people wake up…Businesses are not nor should they be Social Welfare agencies.

They are busninesses…in an increasingly competitive world, they have to makes tons of money not just one year but projected out for years and years to build infrastructure and insure their market share.

Try running a business, every expense effects the bottom line. Taxes are an expense regardless of what many believe, ,every employee benefit has a cost many prohibitive to small businesses,despite what many think.

I question the work ethic of anyone who only wishes for a Walmart clerk job for lifetime employment. There was a time when it was realized that retail employment was an entry level job, you bite the bullet work their lousy hours, build good work ethics, show the world that you have commitment to get to work daily, Fit to work!! make connections, earn…Yes EARN positive references and a reputation as a good dependable employee.

More entitlement mentality tripe.

Blaming Walmart for their success is superficial ignoring many more complicated problems that has lead us to losing our manufacturing base.

Folks you missed the message on this one.

John W.

If the population of the resident country is kept at slave wages then eventually the customer base is gone. Some Wal mart stores have a customer base that is heavily EBT card based with one stores receipts made up of forty percent EBT card purchases. that’s healthy? You better go back to school and discover what Henry Ford figured out a hundred years ago.

Cinderella Man

Waaaaaay off!! Wal-Mart is different than other businesses because they get tax subsides from the communites they do business in. Other companies dont get this. Some towns have to fire teachers and firefighters because of the diminished tax base that Wal Mart doesent provide. You want to talk about entitlement mentality tripe Walmart is one of the biggest welfare whores there is! How good is that the govt. subsidizes your workforce because you wont pay them a decent wage or provide them health insurance!! As much as this bastard company makes each year they could at least take care of their own! As someone whos mother worked for that POS company I know what Im talking about. How would you like to work for a place that dosent pay you overtime?

BigHit

“#20 The combined net worth of six members of the Walton family is roughly equal to the combined net worth of the poorest 30 percent of all Americans.”

And where do the 30% shop?
That number will increase after the RFID implementation and WM is one of the few places where buying is legal.

MinBooger

Wal-Mart’s RFID implementation has been put on major hold. It seems that it is not cost-efficient for the majority of their vendors to retool/redesign their systems and implement the technology at this point. Please also explain how implementing RFID will make buying illegal in other retail markets?

http://TheEconomicCollapse Darwood

I live in Oklahoma and some years ago Wal-Mart forced Zebco to close their Tulsa, union, plant and ship the work to China. It was either lower cost or lose Wal-Marts buisness.

Evie

I think it will get worse before it gets better.
The fact that large groups of people protest them coming to their neighborhoods and san francisco not allowing them to be built is a good start.

Retail as we know it is dead. Walmart isnt building.because so many are buying. But because they get gov. Money to build in a town or city. A couple of years later they get an,offer to build down the street. Like banks and pharmicies they are looking for welfare. They could care less if they sell products or services.
The bigger threat of the corporations is they want more gov. Welfare to run healthcare and education, of course using the same cheap labor, low quality method used in their stores.
They are building 1 walmart a day in mexico. Could this be the reason for increased violence and why they do not care so many of their citizens are in the crossfires?
Low quality, low wages, and mistreatment of employees. Wow this is what people want for their future?

The old school American retailers are in dire straits.
There was a time when my dad would only buy Craftsman tools from Sears. They were guaranteed for a lifetime. Buy a wrench or screwdriver or hand saw in 1966, and it would work just as well in 2012. Guaranteed, or your money back (yep, the entire 75 cents you spent for the thing back in ’66. Hee!)

No longer. Now, you run down to Home Depot and buy a Chinese made wrench which breaks the moment you try to tighten a screw. Oh, how times have changed.

mondobeyondo

Okay, so you can’t tighten a screw with a wrench. Whoops.
Doesn’t matter. Just toss the wrench onto a concrete sidewalk, and watch the wrench break apart!

Big Dave

When Sam Walton was alive Walmart products were made in America and his stores were closed on Sundays to honor the Sabbath. Oh how things have changed. Most of their stuff is junk now and doesnt last. Don’t bother asking for help. If you don’t see it, they don’t have it. I’m glad I am part of the 4 percent who live more than 20 miles from Walmart.

kevinm

There is a very simple answer to this. It’s not voting, it’s not “occupying”, it’s using the only real power the average American has left-the ability to choose where we spend our money. Don’t like Wal-Mart? Don’t shop there. Organize a boycott, use social media to get the message out. They only care about money, just bite the bullet, spend a few dollars more and shop someplace else.

Excalibur

If it wasn’t for stifling regulations from city, state, and federal levels that make the cost of doing business in America so exorbitant the price of goods could be more competitive. This includes the costs that unions add to a product made in America.

A company is in business to make a profit. Can you really blame a company for shopping the world to be competitive. The anger towards Walmart is misguided. Unless one has ever tried to run a business, one may not understand what it takes to try and run a business while being entangled in red tape and remain competitive against other parts of the world that aren’t as restrictive.

robert

when you get down to it,it’s our own fault. we elect the politicans who let companies like wal mart move in. and since everyone wants to save a buck they don’t think about who is getting screwed by them until they lose their job.only problem then is it’s too late to do anything about it.

Goldbond

While generating a profit, how many people does Wal0Mart employ? How many seniors which have no other useful function in the work place have greeter jobs allowing them some form on additional income because they were not responsible or fortunate enough to save for their retirement? Wow they are the largest employer in 25 states. Bravo and Kudos to them.

A company that size, you BETTER be paying a CEO one of the highest compensation packages in the world. See FNM & FRE, no top down responsibility and you screw all mortgage holders and those that actually provided for their own housing future.

85% of goods coming from other countries? Wow why not ask what is causing foreign goods that you all hate to buy so profitable for WM? Because the exorbitant cost of labor and manufacturing in the US is OBSCENE. Why should any business owners, small or large, over pay workers for these goods when they have their own families to provide for?

you are making these sticking points mean things that reality doesn’t dictate. Check your premise

Ivan

I never shop at Walmart. Never will. I will pay more to shop somewhere else. Like most corporations, Walmart does not care about you, only your money.

MinBooger

I refuse to shop at Wal-Mart. Not because they are evil, (I truly believe they are), but for more selfish reasons. When they first came into our area, before the Super Center model became prevalent, I did shop there. The quality of the merchandise at that time was OK. Now it is all junk. I don’t care how cheap it is, it’s all crap. I don’t live in what I would consider a large town, but we have TWO Wal-Mart Super Centers in close proximity to each other. Fortunately, we also have a Target and a K-Mart. I shop at Target for the staples (shampoo, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, etc.) I shop at Vons for groceries. Yes, they are more expensive, but 1) it’s easier to get in and out quickly and 2) they are not overrun with people who think taking all of their kids to the store is like a trip to Disneyland and let them all run amok. (That seems to only happen at Wal-Mart.) Everything else I buy at the mall or from local merchants in the town that I work in. The reason they still have local merchants is that they have created a shopping area for the tourist crowd and only allow local merchants to set up shop into that area. They also refused to allow Wal-Mart to come into their town which forced them to go ‘next door’ to the neighboring town. They do have a Target and a K-Mart, but no Wal-Mart. As long as I [still and God willing] have a decent job, I will continue to pay the extra and support the local economy.

But sadly, I find that even the larger department stores are stocking more and more items that are made in China and the quality of their merchandise is starting to drop as well. It’s near impossible to buy anything that isn’t made there anymore. So this week, I’m repurposing the spare bedroom to set it up as a sewing room. Time to [at least] start making my own clothes and household items again. At least I can control the quality and they will be “Made in America”!

Orange Jean

So, I am curious with your comment about sewing your own clothes (something I’m going back to)… but where are you finding fabric that’s not made in China??

I’ve only found one place recently, and it’s not cheap (and they ONLY have cotton):

Unfortunately, as I stated, it’s near impossible to find anything not made in China. The reason for going back to sewing my own clothes is to control the quality (e.g., good constructed garments.) I’ll have to do some digging, obviously, to find fabric. Thanks for the link for cotton fabrics – I’ll definitely be checking them out!

GoneWithTheWind

You have been sold a crock of *******. Walmart is the best thing that has ever happened to most communities. The average family saves $2300 a year shopping at Walmart. Most of this hype and lies is produced by unions who resent losing their high paying jobs at the local grocery store. Thank god for Walmart.

Michael

So you support a brutal, totalitarian communist regime that has a strict one-child policy and that forces women to have abortions?

The United States should have NO trade with China, but Wal-Mart gets most of their products from China.

Wal-Mart is helping make China great, and that is a disgrace.

And it is certainly not “conservative” to be fueling the prosperity of an evil communist regime such as China.

Michael

http://www.worldmaker.us Falconsword

Micheal,

I respect most of what you say, but I resent your simplistic view on this matter. Most of the food items Walmart sells are sourced domestically, same as every other grocery chain. What you see at action here is up sizing. Same as Kroger, Food Lion, etc, all the grocery stores have entered a mutually assured destruction policy of grow or die. They did it to themselves, now they are all pissed because Walmart is better at it than them, and are willing to fill the other half of their store with PSFC (plastic $hit from China). Target is about the same, maybe a few more domestically made goods, but not much. With 1/3 of Americans families struggling to survive, you can’t expect them to all go to whole foods or a small local store and spent 20, 30, 40% for more their essentials. Even my plan of introducing trade tariffs to replace income tax will hit basic costs. So what do you do?

Michael

I agree with you to a certain extent. The truth is that it is nearly impossible to find “made in America” products in certain product categories anymore.

And in this economic environment, many families simply have to do whatever they can to scratch and claw to save what little money they can.

So I don’t want people to feel as though I am coming down on them.

I just want them to see how our jobs and our factories are being systematically destroyed by this system.

Michael

RonBeyer

Most people with “their high paying union jobs at the local grocery store” do not have to rely on federal or state subsidies, that cannot be said about a lot of Walmart employees.
Income for the lower 50% of the population has remained flat for the last 30 years because we’ve systematically replaced high paying full-time union jobs with lower wage part-time jobs.

John W.

If peoples wages were not so low this price cutting insanity would not be the driving force. It has become a self fulfilling item like the Stupid Party allowing illegal and legal immigration from the third world and now they have to support its’ continuing. Never would have been a problem had they dealt with it first thing. Wal-mart is necessary simply because people make squat for wages. We are a third world country where the only thing kkeping the whole farce going is govt. spending to replace the wages that are not there.

Daniel

No one is forced to do business with Walmart, unlike government at all levels which has monopoly power requiring you to pay for their services. Walmart provides good products at reasonable prices and employs millions of people, including minorities, the elderly and the disabled, and doesn’t require force to do so. It grew enormous because it did things better than it’s competitors, not through force, like the Goverment, which grew enormous even though it provides infrerior services at high cost through coercion.

WM

Another great article Michael. I try my hardest to buy American when I can and to support Mom & Pop stores when possible. I have been in Walmart a few times and it is disgusting all the cheap, plastic junk that is there. There is still a small amount of American made products, (MagLite) but very small.

I am a struggling bluecollar worker that is living paycheck to paycheck due to unbelievable tax increases here in Connecticut, but I will go out of my way to buy a quality American made product. My company gives me a $75 allowance towards steel tow work boots. I wanted to buy local and American made, so I went to the local RedWing store and asked about American made boots, (this is an American company), and showed me a little shelve in a corner amidst the sea of chinese made “Red Wings”. I could have had a free pair of boots, but decided to buy the American made boots for $200!!!!

Well, almost 2 years later and they are still comfortable and look like new. So, I paid extra, but got a great pair of boots and supported my fellow American.

I have many things around the house that are American made. If you look hard, you can find them, and usually they are still made well, although you have to be careful beause a lot of “American” companies still retain their brand name, but junk is made in china. I have a “GE” microwave, with the hood built in….lasted about 2 years.

A lot of the mentality today is throw away. Example: Buy a cheap blender at WalMart and if it lasts a year, throw it out and buy another, it is so cheap.

This kind of thinking is filling our land fills, keeping us oil dependant, and ruining America. Why not spend $200 on a blender that will last 30 years, and then be capable of being refurbished for another 30 years???

I use vintage blenders that myMom bought new in 1968 and they still blend and chop ice better than anything we can get new. My wife and I went through our first blender (wedding gift) in several months before the gear mechanism broke.

Shopping at Walmart is cheap indeed, but the long term cost is higher than most people can comprehend.

mondobeyondo

There are still a few American made products sold at Wally World, but it’s pretty much a “niche” market. There are only so many U.S. made wooden picture frames you need. Where the American retailers dropped the ball, IMHO, is in everyday items that people use. Towels, coffee makers, televisions, computers, cellphones, and so forth. The Chinese saw an opportunity and went for it. Now they own it.

wolfy

I hate Walmart…recently, I was in a small “express” store opened in Chicago…it sucked. I did find an item I needed for a dollar. Not going back htere. No way, Jose.

GSOB

Hello,

hummm, the only economic problem I have with any part of this article about Walmart is this:

‘Large numbers of Wal-Mart employees are actually on welfare, and this is part of the reason why we have seen such an explosion in the number of the working poor in America.’

But that, like the rest of the article, does not place the root of the econmic problem with Walmart. That is to say, the problem is not with the consumer at Walmart and/or Walmart operating to make the most profit it can. The problem has to do with our government’s taxing ability on businees. Don’t blame Walmart or the consumer, blame the insurmountable cost of what war does to any economy, and what a runaaway debt machine such as the Federal reserve creates.

Taxing consumers and business when buying or selling, and taxing everyone’s wages with the income tax…. just don’t get me started.
Just start with the higher authority, the government, follow the money and you’ll understand that each one of us are regulated for financial gain to the government.

The right arrangement /agreement is the employer and the employee. They are both consumers. Everyone in the world is a consumer. But even within this simple setup for conducting business in a free market economy, we have a federal government, state & local government intrusion. They tell consumers what the minimum wage is to be and what benefits they have to apply to their employees.

The federal and local governments are making lots of money and if our tax code doesn’t change, only big businees like Walmart will be able to grow and just barely stay afloat to survive like the smaller startups.

The walmart employees getting welfare must be tied to the high turnover employees… I’m not sure. If I am wrong, it makes my point about the problem.. it is not with walmart, but in the tax code of the great country in which Walmart resides.

This article slamming Walmart, which is a consumer driven business, plays on the hearts and stinges of a socialist. It is a great piece of socialist propaganda.

GSOB

I meant to write this (I left out the word not):

The federal and local governments are making lots of money and if our tax code doesn’t change, only big businees like Walmart will be able to grow, not just barely stay afloat to survive like the smaller startups.

I think you got it though.

Like minded with davidmpark comments and the like.

Michael

No, you have it totally wrong.

I am promoting capitalism.

Wal-Mart promotes communism by buying most of their products from a brutal, dictatorial communist regime that allows their workers to be paid slave labor wages.

In the process, millions of jobs in a society that is supposed to be capitalist (America) are being destroyed.

You are the one promoting socialism.

Michael

xander cross

No, you don’t promote so called capitalism. Also, people like you think you’re superior because you shop at places like whole foods grocery store and high end malls. I seen many mostly white people act snobish to anyone that dare to shoop at whole foods and buy fake organic food from there. What’s that, you though whole foods actually sell orgainc foood?

K

Michael, Walmart is a far right, sacred cow. Remember they were Communist China, before some folks started making big bucks from them. Now they are just China. Those who speak most, about how moral they are, will sell it for a few dollars in their pocket. The love of money, is the root of all evil. If today’s society does not prove that statement. Than nothing ever will.

Michael

Yeah I am afraid that I stepped on a few toes with this article.

That is okay.

By the way, if any preppers out there are interested, my wife and I are taking guest articles on one of our “prepper-related” websites now….

It seems Michael,
that you would restrict your choice to American made products, based on your own free choice and reasoning. Your stance is that you would not to do business with a tyrannical government and it’s evils, and you suggest american businesses that do business with china, such as Walmart are selling america out, sort of speak.

So, think about it… the less business you do with the people who do all the labor under that tyranny.. you foster and enshrine that tyrannical government over them simply by your unwillingness to do business with them.
Sounds noble.

Remember, it is the working class in any country, not the government over them, that produces the products that consumers want. So you see, this is hardly the action or postion to take.
Yes.. abortion and one child restrictions are terrible, to say the least, but let’s not confuse the government tyranny and the people enslaved to that system. When you do business with that country, you are strengthening what little they are allowed to have while living under such a dictatorship.

Help free the people from under their government by buying the products they produce so they know they can suvive without the government despise. Help build this poor slave workers confidence and not punish him more because you dislike his government’s treatment of the people.

These working class people in any country are working to provide for themselves, not first and formost for their government, though they know the government will take their portion. It’s not the people’s fault.

So, seperate the consumer market from the totalitarian government actions and I think you’ll began to realize it’s better for the consumer to do business with the chinese people that not to do business with them.

That’s why I see this as socialist propaganda, and I apologize for being brutally honest. I enjoy your site.

Regardless of where you reside in this world… When a countries economy is weak, the government steps in with its efforts to spread the wealth with it’s regulations in order to prop up it’s
faltering economy. The producer and consumer suffers.

T in TX

Michael, your blog is NOT yesterday’s news. I appreciate your hard work and faithfulness to keep us updated.

Michael

Thank you for saying that

Michael

Donald Wilson

The goal of the new world order is to ultimately destroy the U.S. bring it down and spread the wealth to other 3rd world nations. Good luck.

Gary2

I bought all of Reagan’s shtick about “trickle-down.” Wish I had known then what I know now. We’ve been lowering the MARGINAL tax rates on the 1% since the Eisenhower administrations.

NOTHING ever “trickled down.” The 1% just used those tax breaks to buy both parties and the media.

Billionaire Nick Hanauer:

“Raise Taxes on Rich to Reward True Job Creators”

“……When businesspeople take credit for creating jobs, it is like squirrels taking credit for creating evolution. In fact, it’s the other way around.
It is unquestionably true that without entrepreneurs and investors, you can’t have a dynamic and growing capitalist economy. But it’s equally true that without consumers, you can’t have entrepreneurs and investors. And the more we have happy customers with lots of disposable income, the better our businesses will do.
That’s why our current policies are so upside down. When the American middle class defends a tax system in which the lion’s share of benefits accrues to the richest, all in the name of job creation, all that happens is that the rich get richer.
And that’s what has been happening in the U.S. for the last 30 years. ….”

Gary,
I must be losing my mind. For once I agree with most of what you have posted. I think I better go have myself checked into county mental health. Since Clinton brought Robert Rubin into his administration the conivance between Wall St. and govt. has gotten to the point of being criminal. The repeal of Glass-Steagal was a big mistake that they should have learned from the savings and Loan crisis which Hillary was implicated in with the Whitewater Savings scam. Wonder why Bill fired all the US attorneys when he took office? They were getting ready to indict the big Hillary. That stopped that so a bunch of flunkies took the fall for Whitewater. Read the book Inside Job, it explains what happened.

Larry Oldham

Michael, did you work at Walmart once upon a time and it just didn’t work out?
The good thing about living in the United States has always been our Capitalist Society, open competition, Free Trade and the ability to open up a business based on what you thought would make you money and help others. This is exactly what Sam Walton did many years ago. I will agree that his business plan has been greatly changed. But we still live in America. Your blog is old news of course which you know. I suppose you wanted to stir people up again so you are being redundant using old news. All of us have the ability to shop elsewhere. My parents paid Sears and Roebuck 25% interest on a Sears Card because they did not have cash money to buy us school clothes. Was it right? Doesn’t matter either way, they needed it, Sears offered it and so they did it. Same with Walmart. They will meet the competition’s price, they offer low prices, most stores give good customer service, they are clean, they have what they advertise and as noted people all over the world continue to shop there daily. Plus they are the largest employer in the United States. Tell all the unhappy people that work there to quit belly aching and go somewhere else to work. Someone will be happy to take their place. Savings and low price, isn’t that what we all are striving for? Can Walmart help it if they are giving the people what they are asking for? Then all the jealous people or people like you who want to stir something up for their blog, start chastising Walmart for their success. Shame on you. Check out what we are paying some pro baseball and football players salaries and write about how un American that is. At least the families of Wal-Mart are giving us jobs and paying taxes in our towns, and saving us money to boot. I myself appreciate Wal-Mart but then again I have no axe to grind , I am not jealous of a good entrepreneur system, and I believe in the American freedom of choice to shop where I want to shop. On the other side the article was well written, I just happen to disagree with the topic. But then again, Isn’t that the American Way?
Larry

RickS

People, get over this Walmart-bashing already. Walmart wouldn’t be but a handful of small stores in Arkansas if people didn’t find value in shopping their. No one from Walmart goes to your home and forces you to buy from them.

Yes, they’ve put a lot of small merchants out of business. Why? Because they charge less and carry more inventory. If you think the good old days of the local merchant were so good, become one. See if people flock to your quaint little shop willing to enrich you with your high prices.

The same goes for the Chinese merchandise Walmart carries. If no one bought it it wouldn’t be on their shelves.

I suppose Walmart-bashing goes hand-in-hand with today’s society, where we are all the victims and someone else is always the perpetrator.

I don’t shop at Walmart for the simple reasons that our local store is dirty, crowded, and I don’t like to wait in line for a half-hour to buy a 4-pack of AA batteries. Obviously, many of the local folks here don’t agree. That’s their choice. I respect that.

http://theeconomiccollapse stu johnson

I shop at wal mart at little bit but most of the stuff I buy is made in the us. The local grocery store has pissed off a lot of people in this mostly blue collar town. There aren’t a lot of high paying jobs here and the houses are mostly small and old. So the local store gouges its own town! They have been doing well(sort of)and built more stores in more towns but they are no good to work for and continue to gouge us. I can buy a loaf of organic bread the the local coop(one small store) cheaper than the local chain store. I think that big busness in general just doesn’t really care about people, just big profits at any cost, even at the cost of treating its own workers like crap. When I go to walmart I do pretty good at buying the minimun and I see that its mostly made here. I don’t want to feed the beast but I do need some stuff so I am working on keeping my spending to a minimum. How much do we really need? I mean most of the junk that people have and buy, do they really NEED it?

Rodster

I don’t have a problem shopping at Walmart. Boycotting is nothing more than symbolism and it’s going to solve the problem.

The problem is what the Federal Gov’t has done overall to make businesses less competitive. Our economy sucks thanks to the libs. Walmart is a place where I save money.

Now stop and think how many of those local businesses and where they are getting their goods from? That’s right, CHINA.

As a small business owner most of my goods come from China. My OEM suppliers like GM, Chrysler and Ford are also beginning to use outsourcing from China.

So would you rather pay me $100 to fix your car or $75 to Walmart and we are basically getting the part from the same place. 😉

Something to think about when you remove the hate.

Rodster

I meant to say it’s not going to solve the problem by not going to Walmart.

Michael I wish you could add some sort of edit feature to the comments.

LJRich

The Walmart factor is a combination of a lot of things. Some people simply can not afford to stop shopping there. This is the result of a snowball affect, directly caused by their existence and our nationwide outsourcing of jobs to other countries. Our National standard of living is on the decline, inflation is through the roof, if it were not for Walmart…..some people would starve and that’s no joke. Dependency on Walmart caused by…..WALMART and their ilk. This is just about not shopping there. It’s a very deep hole that some people can not yet get out of, myself included to a small degree. My community has almost no alternatives, anymore, for what all Walmart sells. We have a local grocery, and we have local shops. But, until inflation isn’t such a big factor in relation to wages, it’s almost impossible to replace Walmart. That’s how they like it and so they keep on trucking.

Yes, they’re destroying our country.

Larry

Michael,
I believe you are partially correct. The problem however, to view it as you have will lead people to become more like the OWS movement, blaming capitalism for everything. Wal-Mart is a symptom not the cause. It’s the crony capitalism of Wal-Mart that’s a problem. It doesn’t matter how rich the Walton family is. Class warfare is not the answer.

If Wal-Mart hadn’t used the system and those in government to get away with its unethical and possibly even illegal practices, than maybe the problem wouldn’t be so bad. Wal-Mart is more of a dangerous monopoly than Microsoft and that is a big part of the problem. Capitalism would work to remove Wal-Mart’s hold on us over time if it were not for bad political actors. People would pay more to go to stores where you actually get good customer service or where you can buy products that last.

China is one of the biggest problems because they make crap products that self destruct in 18 months or less. Government has driven manufacturing out of this country and short sighted companies looking at price savings in China keep American or any better products from being made at comparable costs.
I would buy better quality products and gladly pay the extra money to buy something that lasts but even at non Wal-Mart stores, all the products are from China or they are made of low quality.

Wal-Mart prices are going up significantly and Wal-Mart is replacing many of its items with its store brand products. Soon Wal-Mart will be a place of few choices and high prices for inferior products. Sadly I believe regulations and crony capitalism will prevent true competition that could easily remove Wal-Mart from its thrown.
Yes there is a big cost to the “low” prices. For people making very little income, avoiding Wal-Mart can come at a significant price too.

Should we boycott Wal-Mart just to bankrupt ourselves? Like I said, I think Wal-Mart is just part of a much bigger problem. My personal solution is to do the following;

1) Buy at Wal-Mart when I have to, to keep my family fed and clothed and to save our budget.
2) Vote for people who will enforce the law and vote for responsible and smart trade. Free trade sounds good but when the other side plays by different rules it may not be so free after all.
3) I’m willing to buy better products at higher prices when it makes sense.
4) I see value in customer service and I shop at stores that are people friendly (instead of green friendly) and am willing to pay a premium for that when I can. It helps to tell these stores I shop there because the treat their employees well and it shows.
5) I’m supportive of local business when I can but I also order quality stuff online. Online stores may not support my local economy but it may support yours.

janice

Walmart!

My son was VP of a graphic design company. He made many trips to Taiwan, China, India, Paris, Spain, Malaysia, & the US, etc. As “head design hauncho” he regularly met in person/online/tele with manufacturers and design counterparts, mainly inTaiwan/China. His overseas business trips included touring product manufacturing plants and meeting with company officials…usually a VP and design counterparts. Routine collaboration on design specs/placing orders was done online & via telephone. I jokingly said, ” so you guys outsource everything” and he “yes”. His company only maintained a small office and warehouse facility. He spoke of trips to Walmart headquarters in Utah. It is like a hugh city! Companies set up satellite offices on premises to always be near Walmart. His company had someone assigned there to insure product placement/purchases by Mother Walmart. No manufacturer of goods can conduct business without them in order to have a larger product placement foot print. Walmart doesn’t come to them..they must go to Walmart. No one can compete with them and remain in business. All sorts of businesses do Walmart’s bidding in order to sell products. No one is concerned with where the products are made. As long as Walmart orders their products… they are guaranteed to make money anywhere in the world!!

nococidences

Maybe the should be considered a restraint on trade. A monopoly like Standard Oil was 100 years ago and they should be broken up as a monopoly. Yep. They will ruin and upside down our economy in no time flat. The steal and manufacture nothing. Large reason economic downturn lasted so long.

Remember when Sears dominated? Yeah, it really wasn’t that long ago. There is no such thing as a perpetually dominant department store. The marketplace is always changing.

Relax people. Profit margins on groceries are 1-4% so look for amazon.com to knock Walmart back a few notches within the next few years.

janice

Sorry Michael…Walmart headquarters is in Bentoville,, Arkansas.

Gerry Mander

I can’t believe you would say anything against this beloved icon of American consumerism! They’re a big help to struggling American families who need their low, low prices just to get by. Why, I got the Mondo-pak of Floor-wipe mopping system refills for only $9! They’re $10 at Target! And I bought my family’s favorite Captain Ahab fried fish fillets, that I only have to heat up in the oven, and it was 23 cents cheaper than it was at Krogers. I stock up on our favorite brands of chips, soda and cookies every time I go because WalMart sells them cheaper than anyone else does. Because I care about my family’s health, I also buy WalMart’s organic bagged iceberg lettuce salads, apples and bananas, and I even switched to the healthy brown bread…and it turns out that it tastes just like white bread!

Why, my last trip, I saved enough to buy a Harajuku-Girl doll that my daughter saw on tv and kept begging for! She was so happy for an entire week, until it broke. Thanks WalMart, for helping me make my little girl happy!

….

Americans love to consume. They want what they want, they want it now and they want it cheap. They don’t care if they’re getting good value. They don’t care if they’re getting cheap prices on the backs of mistreated, underpaid WalMart “associates” and at the expense of laid-off American workers who once produced the quality products that the whole world aspired to own.

Hundreds of millions of American believe that cheap prices are the key to the good life, and they are the demographic WalMart serves with worthless, overpriced, unnecessary junk. Of course WalMart’s version is cheaper than the same thing at Safeway, because WalMart’s version is pre-packaged-only, low-quality, nearly-expired, bulk-produced, only-for-Walmart. To save money on spoilage, WalMart often stocks only a few, generic, low-nutrition varieties of perishable foods. Their idea of a green vegetable is bagged iceberg lettuce, and of a nutritious entree is frozen fried fish that is 75% oil and flour by weight. They sell 3-month-old cream cheese for a few cents less than the stores that sell it fresh. WalMart’s produce selection may be skimpy, but the junk food aisles are abundantly overflowing. There’s chips, ice cream, candy, and cookie choices galore!

What WalMart doesn’t sell is anything of genuine value. Where are the pants that last 100 washings? Where is the toy that is handed down to your grandchildren? Where are the traditional vegetables that your Italian grandmother would introduce to your children – if only she could find those vegetables anywhere?

100 million Americans a week happily go to WalMart and buy things they’d be better off without. I gladly give WalMart its share of the blame, but nothing will change until Americans understand that the way to save is to buy good quality versions of what you need, and no more.

Brent

Amazing how many people resent success in competitive markets. You really think we’d all be better off with high prices and only uncompetitive mom and pop stores to choose from?

Jo Ellen Ringer

I recently watched a tv documentary on all the things COSTCO is doing right, supporting their workers with high pay and they get loyalty in return. They also carry high quality merchandise at fair prices.
While I am sure many of their goods are made in China, they are an alternative.
I live in Idaho. Many rural people make a trip every 2-3 months to a Costco to load up.
Unfortunately, the rural community I work in chooses Walmart all the time because of their prices. I do NO shopping there and always explain why to my rural friends. It does not change their behavior.

Lou Mickley

Why all the whining on this thread? If you don’t like Wal-Mart, change it by not shopping there. If you do like them, shop there. Vote with your dollars. I like small businesses, and will shop there when I can. Sometimes Wal-Mart makes sense for me too. Wal-Wart beat Sears/K-mart through better execution. Capitalism at its best. When big retail competes, we all win. The only thing I see broken is all the knuckleheads that can’t afford a full grocery basket lining up at Wal-Mart on black Friday to get the first 50″ flat screen TVs.

http://theylaughedatnoah.blogspot.uk Sackerson

I’ve tried to draw a picture of this process, which is not necessarily beneficial to ordinary Chinese either:

It’s not Wal-Mart, Ceiling Mart, or Floor Mart that is destroying America. Maybe it’s The Economic Collapse Blog that is destroying America with all of it’s negative outlook on everything and everybody..America will survive it all, we have the brightest minds running the country, with some exceptions of course….

Cinderella Man

Wow thems some good drugs youre on!! We have the brightest minds running the country!? ROFLAMO!!!!

Cinderella Man

ROFLMAO!!

MinBooger

You’re kidding, right? :O

Fred

Michael,
What – You didn’t like my original comment pointing to your obvious double standard and hypocrisy. A Walmart add on your website means you condone what goes on in China as much as those of us you bash for shopping there. How about you take the plank out of your eye before you point out the speck in the eye of everyone else.

Michael

Fred:

I am not running a Wal-Mart ad.

At various times the ad networks that I am running may display an ad for Wal-Mart based on the algorithms that you are running. The ad networks may believe that you want to see an ad about Wal-Mart based on the fact that you are looking at an article about Wal-Mart.

Michael

Old Man

Is Walmart good for America? Why of course that depends on where you come from.

If you are a fundamentalist capitalist, Walmart represent the epitome of capitalism – maximize efficiency to maximize return on investment.

If you are a major shareholder of Walmart stock, you are laughing all the way to your very own bank.

If you are workers in China where Walmart buys your stuff by the billions for penuts, Walmart must be the best thing since, well, the British imperialists dumped opium to poison the Chinese people, then declared war just to rub it in.

And if you are Regular Joe in America, Walmart is also a very good thing. How else one can explain Walmart revenue to sweet? Of course, most of the Regular Joes have lost their jobs to China. But look, a) they deserve it because they are really lower skilled and lower efficiency than Chinese workers; a) they had a free choice not to buy knowing one day they will pay for it in lost job, but they did.

So in the end, Walmart is very good to America. Everybody deserve what they get. It is the perfect American Dream.

GSOB

Excellent

http://TheTGBReport Thomas Brown

Wal Mart is not the problem. They are doing what is supposed to be done in a free market (although we don’t have a true free market) provide products and services at the lowest cost to the buyers. You are not forced to purchase products from Wal-Mart but the prices make it attractive. The true problem is the corporate welfare system and the central planning we have in terms of Monetary Policy. If the monetary system was run by free markets and not controlled by a small banking elite at the Federal Reserve we would have a more stable monetary supply as well longevity in purchasing power. Also, the government hass to stop giving away favors to companies in the form of corporate welfare. That means no farm subsidies, banker bailouts, tax incentives for moving large firms into a community. In addition an end to Federal Minimum wage laws that price folks out of the market.

GSOB

Great reply you capitalist p g.
I’m just like you.

Oink

Melissa

I shop at walmart due to the fact I can’t afford any other store. Don’t blame Walmart for bad economy fact is it’s the Government that’s brought Mercia to it’s knees.. Like Electing Both Bushes in office. CLINTON is the ONLY president that made sure the America people had a decent Pay and could actually DRIVE cause the gas price was affordable. Elect a president that will make AMERICA it’s prime job in saving instead of taken care of every other country in this world and NOT America…. BLAME YOURSELF for lack of keeping things to where we cant afford them.

The Claymobile

Melissa, you need to get back on your medication!

Pitchfork Ready

Nobody likes Wal Mart, even those of us that embrace Capitalism and Free Markets. It’s easy to blame Wal Mart but they are but a symptom of the disease–which is government interference–of laws, regulations, unions, and free trade agreements have destroyed our manufacturing base. The people that make and enforce and uphold the laws are the reasons this system exists and is exploited by companies like Wal Mart.

And the fact is the people have spoken: they shop in overwhelming numbers at Wal Mart.

I don’t like it and I believe the day is coming when Wal Mart’s business model will come crashing down not just on its own head but on ours as well. There will be a day in the not so far off future when China will stop shipping us its products because the dollar will be worthless. There will be a day when the Chinese replace the dollar with the yuan and China will replace America as the consumer capital of the world–and they will be able to buy their own shitty products instead of just making them for Americans.

We can cry about Wal Mart but they’re not the problem: our politicians are.

mitch

Given that Apple is the largest company in the world, and manufactures and assembles 100% of their ipads, iphones, imacs, etc. in China, shouldn’t they, along with all of us izombie consumers who gobble up all of their shiny, gee-whiz, gotta-have-it-now icrap as soon as it hits the shelves be at the top of the list of evil americans directly supporting all of the atrocities of the evil Chinese communist government?

MinBooger

If Apple was the only computer/electronics company manufacturing in China, then yes. Difference is, Apple products are not crap and they are not cheap disposable items. Take your Apple-bashing to another blog – Gizmodo perhaps?

http://www.sh1ny.com Paul Blumenthal

Current system is fascism. That’s true. But true free market economy always finishes as fascism (corporationism). That’s something that you guys don’t see. Let me give you an example:

It is 1998. Nobody heard of web search, right? I don’t think that the term was even defined. So, obviously as nobody knew what it was, there was no Government regulation or intervention in the web search market, right? So, we have 1998 and we have 2 guys in a Garage creating Google. And thanks to the lack of regulation and lack of the Government intervention Google works out beautifully. So far so good. We have 100% pure beautiful capitalism for Google. Everybody happy. Capitalism at its finest. Now comes the part that is explained by Marx and you guys simply don’t grasp: In the year of 2010 Google sponsors a bill to regulate the market economy so its position as a monopoly for web search is secured by the law. That’s the fact bill like this has been developed by Google. Now Google bribes (aka ‘lobbies’) the House/Senate/etc and gets what it wants: if you use Google connections goes through fat and fast Internet connection. If you use something else, no matter how many times better, the law says that slower connections must be used. That’s exactly right. That’s fascism: laws created by corporations to secure their monopolistic positions at the same time empowering Government more as now it needs to eavesdrop only Google’s traffic. Everybody wins. Except for constituency that is. Fascism. In other words once those corporations grow big enough thanks to the lack of regulation and free markets THEY will regulate instead of the Government (democratically elected Government I should add).

And I know what will you say: “Ahh.. it’s still because of the GOvernment because the Government enables this. Because the GOvernment allows bribing and lobbying to happen”.
Well, this argument is aking to communists argumentation that communism would work great if just people could understand that they ought to be equal and not want more than their neighbor. It is the same stupid logic: oh capitalism would work great only if these stupid people would understand not to take bribes, lobby and have no special interests. It is utopia my friends. Politicians will always accept fact checks from corporations. This way corporations ultimately destroy capitalism that created them and replace it with corporationism known also as fascism. That’s the path that not only Google took, but also banks in the past – hence FED was created to secure their interests in 1917. Big Pharma, hence MedicAid and Medicare were created. And military complex hence all the wars.

You see capitalism is self-destructing. So go there and read Marx before dismissing him as an idiot.

This is really an attack on capitalism. Wal-Mart pays their workforce as much as they have to in order to keep it. So does Target and every other retail store. Wal-Mart doesn’t owe everybody a job that will bring them prosperity. They outcompete inefficient mom and pop stores along with chains that aren’t as good. It’s nobody’s business what Wal-Mart pays their CEO except their stockholders.

Michael

No, my article was a defense of capitalism.

Wal-Mart has partnered with a communist regime and is using slave labor wages to undermine our capitalist system.

Michael

Barn cat

No, they haven’t partnered with them. They buy stuff. Wal-Mart doesn’t have stuff made in China in slave labor factories like Apple does. Wal-Mart buys stuff from Chinese companies like every retailer does.

MinBooger

Apple isn’t the only computer/electronics company that manufactures in China, they all do. Additionally, Steve Jobs met with Obama and told him that he would be a one-term president if he didn’t do anything to bring manufacturing jobs back to America. Unfortunately, the Apple bashers leave this part out. Lastly, check out Cupertino, CA – lots of employment at Apple there. Lots of employment at Apple stores and they don’t treat their employees like disposable drones. You cannot compare the two – one is strictly retail and the other designs and develops – manufacturing is just one of the elements.

http://google Vicki

Look at America, we over-purchase, we over-consume, we are getting fatter and lazier as a nation. We in America generally think that more is better, more food and more stuff. We buy stuff till it overfills our houses and our cars then we have to buy storage units to fit the overflow. We buy food till we overfill ourselves, we are a country filled with obese people, increasing illness and the cost of healthcare.
If you don’t like what Wal Mart sells don’t buy it. If you don’t like stuff made in China, don’t buy it, if you don’t want to eat crappy food, don’t buy it. We as consumers have the loudest voice, we (who shop at Wal Mart) are the ones who have made Wal Mart successful, we are the only ones who can send the message that we don’t want what Wal Mart offers-we are not sending that message.
If you want something different do something different, start making your own clothes, growing your own food and doing without that great gadget that will fall apart in a week, contributing to the garbage dump we call earth.

Janet

I don’t shop there, never have, neither does any of my family.

Walmart sucks. And yes, they should be ashamed of themselves, but I’m sure they’re not.

AndyW

Grow up, y’all. No one forces anyone to shop at WalMart. “Everyday low prices” seduces everyone. For all the talk about “buy American” and “buy local”, most people prefer saving a few bucks and buying cheap Chinese crap at WalMart or Dollar General. Try buying hand tools, power tools, small household appliances, home electronics, etc. made in USA. Extremely difficult. Try going into any clothing store at your mall, and find clothing manufactured, not just “assembled’ in the US.

As far as WalMart putting all the local merchants out of business, is this a LOSE/LOSE proposition? It seems to me that the consumer has greater selection of goods, at competitive prices, no questions asked return policy—I don’t remember the local 5 and 10 offering all that when I was a kid. Many local merchants are thriving, by providing outstanding service, and offering excellent product selection targeted to their local customer. No more whining by all those old businesses that refused to adapt.

Tatiana Covington

Hurray for Wal-Mart and its capitalistic self-interest!

I buy there all the time, because I choose to do so.

Me first. I’m dead serious.

Karen

I know someone who works at wal mart they told me the badge you see that they wear around there neck has a barcode in which they can be watches by cameras not even the military stoops that low, wal mart time Warner GE Pepsi coke disney and any other huge corporation are all part of the NWO they are all out to ruin your lives and they sure are doing there job well and making millions no one cares about mom and pop small stores anymore wal mart puts a chemical on there meats to preserve it for 10 to 11 days time and it is deadly to your body causes cancer and diabetes in time, I watch folks at wal mart just to see what they buy to eat 80 pre cent buy nothing but junk micro wave food a micro wave destroys the nutrition in your food you are basically eating a blob of nothing and sadly and I am not trying to be ugly but speaking the truth I see people much younger than than I am , riding the electric carts because they do not want to walk people so. Over weight they have to use crutches to move around the store, parking in handicap zones and not a darn thing wrong with them, it’s called in souther terms to Much elbo action.

TedF

Since the government is involved in everything else we do, why don’t we pass a law that if you operate a retail or wholesale business in the USA then 40% of you inventory must be made in USA. Other countries impose similar requirements why not us?

wbill

I have been a union worker for 35 years. when i was in my twenties, struggling with 5 children, I tried to go the extra mile and buy american, particularly cars. Then I watch the news they show a Gm plant and most of the employee cars were Toyota and honda. My next car was a Renault. We are the problem. We want high paying jobs,but don’t want to pay for others to have them. Most want health insurance, but don’t want to pay much for it. Many want govt services, but don’t want taxes. We elect those people that fairly accurately reflect those values, thue we become what we are now.

http://www.walmartstores.com/ Walmart Dan

I’m Dan from Walmart’s communications team.

The article above not only repurposes a number of myths about Walmart frequently promoted by organized labor, but also quotes a recent, error-laden blog post from another site.

The facts paint a much different picture. Walmart helps provide jobs with an opportunity to build a career and sources a large portion of its products from the U.S.

More than 1.3 million people choose to work at Walmart in the U.S. The average, full-time hourly wage is more than $5 higher than the federal minimum and most of our jobs are full time. We offer affordable, accessible health insurance – as low as $15 per bi-weekly pay period – and a generous 401(k) plan with a 6 percent company match, among many other benefits. Roughly three-fourths of our store management team across the country started out in hourly positions with Walmart.

Our positive impact on the economy extends to the businesses that supply us with merchandise and services as well. Last year, Walmart spent more than $200 billion with more than 57,000 U.S. suppliers. According to Dun & Bradstreet, that helps support some 3.5 million additional U.S. jobs.

More than half of our company’s domestic sales come from categories such as groceries and other consumable items that are predominantly sourced from U.S. suppliers. We recently committed to double our sourcing of locally grown produce.

The customer is at the center of everything we do. Our goal is to offer low prices on the products our customers want and need so we can help them save money so they can live better. For us, it’s more than just a tag line, it’s our purpose.

Cinderella Man

Wow Denial is not just a river in Egypt!! Liar Lair pants on fire! You have a nice practiced speech there buddy!!

MinBooger

I would like to see the list of U.S. vendors AND the list of O.U.S. vendors please.

Hairy Guy

low prices does not mean live better when that chinese junk breaks and you pay more two times instead of a little more just once.

http://TheEconomicCollapse Dave of Oklahoma

Then add to that that Amazon is not paying sales tax, when every local store in every state must pay sales tax on every product it sells. How can we compete with Amazon? Why is U.S. Congress not making Amazon pay sales tax to every state where the purchase originates? I can’t complete with Amazon. Somebody must be paying congressmen very well to keep this fiasco going.

GSOB

Walmart is then a stepping stone for you and not a career choice.

Truther

Every war. Every military conflict since World War Two has been in vain as these wars were instigated against growth and expansion of so-called communism, yet we do business with a country, today, who’s’ previous dictators killed millions of innocent Chinese citizens.
And you think we are liberal jerks when we don’t condone or support the hypocritical GI’s coming back and wishing them a warm welcome returning from the corporation wars our military industrial complex has created? C’mon. American’s aren’t stupid, are they? At least not in acknowledging the American peoples lackadaisical support for the military’s cause, right? Contraire! We are stupid. We support “China-Mart” and we support the cheapest retailer, despite our own economic collapse. Therefore, by default, we support communism and the ideological, political and cultural agenda the Chinese believe in. connect the dots. We care only about living cheap and ourselves individually, not the collective whole of our countrymen and beliefs. We’re doomed, and we all know it. Whereby the Romans fell, so shall we! Trust me. The best thing you can do is learn Chinese, especially your offspring. You will need it to trade soon. Touché!

Guest

I have worked at Wal-Mart for the past 7 years. Thankfully I have just completed my college degree, and will soon be out of there. Just tonight, I was running 6 different service areas. (Automotive, Sporting Goods, Hardware, Homelines, and Garden Center). All while receive the pay of one person. Conditions continue to get worse. The company post work schedules 3 weeks in advance. You think you are going to get X amount of hours, so you budget and pay bills. Recently, they have been telling you the week of, “oh, changed our minds. We told you that you were going to get 40 hours 3 weeks ago, but we’ve cut you 12 hours, and are only going to give you 28 hours this week.” So now I have already budgeted, but I am short 12 hours this week. How are you supposed to raise a family or pay your bills? Those at the top of the Wal-Mart food chain keep getting richer and the backbone of the company keep getting poorer. This is not Sam Walton’s Wal-Mart. I have so many stories I could tell you about Walmart, but I took that negative energy and put it into finishing my degree. I am simply waiting for my 401K to be fully vested next month. But there are many in the company who are stuck.

Dave

Look at it like this: When a company gets fat…they do anything the shareholds tell them to do…to make profits.. Even if it means going overseas. Wal-Mart is not a US success story anymore. It once was, now as our country slowly dies, we will be ‘required’ to shop at Walmart one day. The company is part of the ‘social’ system of serving the ‘state’. The money they have spent in politics…in lobbying. Just like GM, they are part of the plan. Hang on folks…..

DEE

My friend works for walmart… She says she works in HELL and her boss is SATAN,…….they NEVER gaive her 2 days off in a row….Pay is lousey…You can’t complain because they will just fire you …there is always someone else just waiting for the job..There is NO job loyalty to ANY employee…..They work my friend atlate shift they schedule her to be back in 6 hours for morning shift…I THINK THEY ARE AWFUL… It is sad that people HAVE NO choice but to stay employed there and take it because there are no other jobs…The USA is going down down down big time. Very sad….

Kevin

I own a company. I try to make my products in the USA. And the American factories have told me to get them in China because the EPA won’t let them make things here.

Bruce Bishop

Kevin,

The EPA, along with OSHA, EEOC, NLRB, FDA, CPSC and dozens of other government agencies, drove our manufacturing jobs out through the “back door” of NAFTA/WTO, which our government also created.

The problem is NOT greedy capitalists, greedy unions, or greedy Walmart. The problem is our GREEDY government.

Bruce Bishop

Gay Veteran

yeah! who care if our environment if so polluted it gives us cancer? or if corporations can get away with a horribly unsafe work environment?

Joseph

The Left hates Wal-Mart because it has actually done what the Left has always promised but rarely delivered – improving the quality of life for the masses. Yes, small businesses have gone under because they can’t compete – but lay that blame where it belongs: every government-imposed regulation and tax can be absorbed by larger entities easier than smaller ones, and thus the playing field is not level. As for our manufacturing being driven out-of-country, again, look to greedy unions and government regulations creating an unfriendly environment in our own country. As for wealth being channeled into the hands of a few “elite” – socialist drivel! Anybody can buy stock of any publicly-traded corporation (including Wal-Mart) and stake out a share of the wealth for themselves. Would love to take on the rest of the “20 facts” point-by-point but need to log off and go to Wal-Mart . . .

James

Do you realize your entire argument against this article is “They should have all bent over and taken it….”? You are making the point that if American labor and small business had only played ball with Walmart and accepted lower wages, higher production, and lowered standards and quality then everything would have been just fine. And sniping at “The Left” is ridiculous. For years “The Left” have been the only ones interested in helping the people, not corporations.

Bruce Bishop

Joseph,

Brilliant! You have managed to capture the entire issue in one paragraph. See you at Walmart.

Bruce Bishop

ashdav

Please explain how mass quantities of cheap chinese CRAP improves anyone’s life? I buy only from my local grocers, on sale, with coupons and WalMart can’t TOUCH the price I pay for my groceries.It does no good for people to be able to afford to buy more if that more is garbage that will end up in the landfill 10 times faster than if they paid a fair price for a quality product. The problem with America is that they have become too materialistic. Who can accumulate the most crap?? I’d rather spend my money on QUALITY than QUANTITY. I hate that store. Watched it put many local business out of business and once conversed with a WMart store managers wife. THEY WERE ON PUBLIC ASSISTANCE. What kind of employer pays it’s upper management so little that they have to rely on help from the government??

Bruce Bishop

ashdav,

Almost all of the name brand electronics, appliances, housewares, hardware and after-market automotive products are made in China. Whether you buy them at Walmart, or at Sears, Penney, Target or your local hardware store, you are buying Chinese made products. You might want to start checking the labels.

As to groceries, only a few items come from China. Dollar General sells canned peaches from China. Walmart sells some Thai instant soups that are made in China. Those are the only two food items I am aware of. Here in Texas, most of the produce comes from Mexico, Central, and South America. Of course, when it is in season, our produce comes from local growers.

The businesses that Walmart “put out of business” were the same businesses that put the Mom & Pop stores out of business forty years ago. It’s called progress. Walmart offers greater variety, fresher inventory, lower prices and cleaner facilities than the stores that went out of business. They also pay higher wages and better benefits than the stores they replaced.

On the other hand, you might drive by a Walmart and notice the number of new businesses that have opened up since Walmart opened its doors. There is a new Walgreens being built one block away from one of our local Walmarts. There are dozens of new businesses surrounding both of our local Walmarts, all of which were built since the Walmarts opened up.

As to the “Walmart store manager’s wife,” there is something wrong with your story. Walmart store managers generally earn close to six figures with generous performance bonuses. There is no way that any “Walmart Store Manager’s wife” is on “public assistance.”

Tlanc

So I guess for every Walmart there should be a new Walgreens as well? Last I checked, some of the Walmarts in our area purposely lower their prices to put others out of business. Also, if Walmart is paying such great benefits and higher wages, then why does it take an hour just to get somebody to help me get something off the top shelf after 6 other employees give me the “This is not my department” line. I don’t get that at Target, JC Penney, or my local hardware store. Walmart, just like a lot of the other BIG corporations, got their hand so far in these so called government officials pockets that they can do whatever they want. Walmart builders want to destroy a nature river stream and wooded forest just to build another Walmart because the university is too far away (6 miles) from the nearest Walmart.

Mark Rose

When I worked at Walmart 7 years ago, an assistant manager was being paid about $35,000/yr. If they wanted to become a store manager, they’d have to put in 60-80 hours per week. But the store managers were making well into the six figures, working fairy normal hours, so it was worth it to some.

Chris

I used to work for a major television company and WalMart approached us and insisted that if we wanted them to carry our product, we would have to make a cheaper version JUST for them. It would have less features and less options. The packaging and shell all looked the same. They did this as a ploy to win over customers from Best Buy, Sears, CostCo, etc.. Consumers would save $20 by shopping at WalMart, and they would never know the difference. WalMart sells cheaper product, and deceives people into believing they are getting quality products. Next time you are in the plumbing section, grab a plunger, examine its quality and craftsmanship, note the price. Next, go to Home Depot or Lowes and look at their plunger for a dollar more… It is solid, crafted stronger, and built how a plunger should be built. You will go through 2 of any of WalMart products before you would begin to go through any other retail stores product. They are just made better than what WalMart can or will offer. It is common sense, you get what you pay for, and WalMart sells sub-par products.

The Claymobile

Joseph, what is going to happen to this country when everybody is making $8.00 an hour??? Who is going to buy the new cars and new homes? Who will be able to afford to go to the doctor or dentist? The wealth IS being channeled in a few just like Michael said. And the middle class is dying, unfortunately you are to blinded by your ideology to see that! Hope you enjoy your slave-labor produced goods from China.

LordRhynn

It’s a good thing you’ve got jokes Joseph, and I’ll give you credit on them. Comedy gold I tell you. It’s good because you spend half of it blaming the problem on the absence of the very socioeconomic system you later spit out as an insult, and the other half you spend on non sequitur and hasty generalization.

See, the fact is, you cannot achieve the standardization you claim we require under capitalism. Not as long as there is privilege, greed, and individual whim to be accounted for and all three of those factors are present not only in the overseen, but in the oversight. The effects of early unfair social, educational and financial disadvantage are not something that can be expected to be overcome by the majority, especially when no real systemic change is ever put in place and as honest as purported.

The standardization you speak of can only be achieved in the absence of reward and opportunity for individualism. That system is socialism, or more to the point, communism. So make up your mind. Is socialism a four letter word or is it not?

As for your “piece of the pie” version of the Gordon Gecko speech, where you claim “anyone” can buy in? Let me invite you to head West and sample what the haves can do when they manipulate the market and the have-nots using their own ill gotten pieces of pie.

It’s called Las Vegas. Built on the back of insider trading, currency and stock manipulation, and complete failure of effective oversight of the junk bond market made what it was by the likes of Drexel Burnham and other less than scrupulous Wall Street firms. Truthfully, RE-built after it was taken over from the previous haves. The Mob.

There is no “piece of the pie” in a couple of hundred shares of these firms my friend. That’s not even licking the mixing spoon. And when the companies decide to lock in the real profits in limited stock releases and preferred stock leaving everyone else to buy common after the IPO with prices through the roof, it’s like not even being allowed into the kitchen at all.

And that’s before we even get to whether or not the stock is worth the paper it’s printed on in the first place, as can be seen with all the suckers who bought Facebroke and now get to watch as the government and half a dozen others throw out their backs trying to protect the company and its funding banks from any accountability for that IPO train wreck.

I’ve got a great gig for you to do your standup act next week though if you’re not busy. Kid’s party. The clown cancelled. Said he’s working a double that day at Walmart.

Jeff

Well said.

Jeff

for a commie! lol

Gay Veteran

Joseph, you are truly a “useful idiot”

don’t forget to lick your corporate master’s boots

Clay

Stalin would be proud of people like Joseph

Useful Idiot

It sounds to me like people keep making the same arguments over and over again about what America should be. The Right, The Left, The Middle, The End, The Beginning…blah blah blah and blah. I think the point concerns the fact that America should be what you want it – you are entitled to the pursuit of happiness. If nobody’s happy either way, then what exactly is wrong here? Why does it seem we are constantly at war with each other? It’s exhausting. Why don’t we just make America into the 3 countries: The Liberals, The Conservatives and the I Don’t Give a Damns then just shut up and be happy.

mondobeyondo

I’m still trying to train one of my cockatiels to become a greeter and say, “Hi, welcome to Wal-Mart!”. It’s not working. All he does is whistle and chirp. Someday he’ll pick up on it (I hope). A few extra dollars a day wouldn’t hurt!

GSOB

LOL

Ray

Joseph, what has being on the left have to do with liking Walmart? I’m am proud to be left of the idiots who destroyed the US economy under the Bush Administration… and I love Walmart!! It has forced the competition to make their profit on the volume of total sales– instead of making a killing on every single sale!
Why do people like you try to politicize everything and pretend that you’re smarter than everyone? Walmart bargains are something that most Americans have in common– it is not something that divides most of us. If you were half as smart as you think you are, you’d know this!

Winston Smith

false Left/Right paradigm stuff…..why does Walmart have people trained to coach their employees to apply for welfare (food stamps, Medicaid,etc)?

Is not getting people on the rolls of welfare a “leftist” thing? So, then, govt handouts, tax breaks, give-mes and welfare-Walmart is a leftist organization then……intresting, then, how the “right” defends and loves them some Walmart…..

Mike

Just wondering where the computers everyone is posting from were made?

Michael

You are right. The vast majority of all electronic equipment is now made outside of the United States.

Why can’t we make cell phones here?

Why can’t we make computers here?

If we had significant tariffs on goods from nations that commit very, very serious human rights violations and on nations where it is legal to pay slave labor wages things would be different.

Michael

Mark Rose

I don’t think it will be too long before manufacturing will return to the US. Basically the cost of labor has risen dramatically in China, gone down in the US, and when transport and other costs of doing business in China are factored in, there’s not much savings to be had anymore.

Some first world countries are net exporters to China, like Germany.

Obamacare has made it really expensive for employers to have 50+ employees though, so that may delay the return of lower value manufacturing. Alternatively, manufacturers may use more automation and hire fewer people to run the machines.

mondobeyondo

[excuse me for a moment while I check the bottom of my steam powered hamster driven laptop]

Yes. It says “Made in China”.
It gives me a sick feeling in a way. Wouldn’t be surprised at all, if Texas Instruments is now owned by a Chinese conglomerate.

Chinese

I’m disgusted with the amount of the word “American” is used in the text. It is you “Americans” have been supporting “capitalism” and “free market” from what I remember(I know, not all of you). I’m sorry but this is what you get with the system you’ve all loved and praised. Now please deal with it. It is going to get worse…

Blah

Nonsense. China is rapidly becoming more capitalistic than we are,and they’re reaping the windfall.

We’re trading places with them. Their former communist country is turning into a free market and our system is turning into top-down, centrally planned communism.

Chinese

I don’t see myself talking about the system in China, that’s a whole different story. The practices in China is the exact opposite of the “original” idea behind socialism(or communism), such as opposing or trying to eliminate the exploitation of working class. They are one of the centres of exploitation in the world (especially after the free market policies started to be implemented). The comment I wrote is about the system in USA (and other similar economic systems of course), one should be blind (or an ignorant american) not to see that this system is going to cause such problems.

Winston Smith

capitalism, like socialism, is control by the few-either govt clogs or corporate ones, usually, one and the same in tandem……

BOBBI PETERSEN

Walmart Ihave not.hing good to say
cheep items and chemicals

Rusty

Capitolism at it’s finest, may the best store win!

Winston Smith

um, society is not built on a dog fight, that is a prescription for chaos……people should compete, but not dog-eat-dog, a natural outcome of Calvinism…

mondobeyondo

Wal-Mart is one of the main reasons why the former John and Jane Doe’s Main Street Groceries and Supplies has a “For Sale” sign on the front of their property…as usual, it’s the little guys who get pushed out of the way, and dumped onto the street.

Lest we forget, Wal-Mart had such humble beginnings. Sam Walton started out with one little general store in Arkansas. For the first few decades or so, all was well. But once Sam passed on, Wal-Mart morphed into this global conglomerate beast type creature, feasting on money, caring nothing about its roots. What a shame.

Michael

I am afraid that I have upset a lot of people recently.

A lot of mainline Republicans are not going to like the fact that I have criticized Wal-Mart, and a lot of Democrats sure are not going to like this article I just did….

“The Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves: 10 Ways That Obama Is Killing Jobs In America”

Michael, you have arrived. If Walmart Dan, is for real. It proves how close you were to the truth.

degarmo

I think Wal-Mart is the most evilist store on earth! Every store I have ver been in has an evil presence, and everyone inside walk around in a trance, and act like cattle being herded on a ronch. I think they pipe maksed subliminal messages into everyone via the sound systems.

Wal-Mart is probablly the throne of satan!

Louise in MO

Degarmo

Surely you jest!

Mischa Lecter

Louise, allow me to let you in on a little secret. When you say, (or type) the phrase, “Surely you jest” you come off looking and sounding like someone who’s REALLY stupid, but wants to appear smart by dressing up their comment. A simple, “You must be joking” will suffice.

olmangolf

In the beginning Wal-Mart had Hilary Clinton on the board of directors. Everything that witch touches turns to evil.

mondobeyondo

Well folks, I’ll meet up with you at a long line at a Walmart near you, at 3:00am next Black Friday.

Oh, you fell for that too, huh? Those 32-inch HDTV’s for $59.99 were too irrestible, weren’t they? I hear ya!!

George

Walmart pays more wages than they pay in third world country’s. You folks should appreciate the fact that Walmart provides so many jobs to so many. The US is on a path towards becoming a third world country so we can expect real wages to continue to trend lower until we can eventually compete with other third world country’s. It won’t be long before folks that work in Walmart are appreciative of the jobs they now have. After all, third world living is not easy. It’s going to require some adjusting. All of you are still in denial of the fact that in the near future we will just be another banana republic. Don’t like Walmart? Don’t shop there. Who gives a crap. Eventually you won’t be able to afford to shop at Wally world either spooge.

DaytoDay

I hope that was a joke…

I mean, you’re basically saying that people should not only accept poverty but EMBRACE it…

I don’t see it happening… Most of the people in this country walk around half cocked as it is…

Just wait until minimum-wage checks won’t even buy a candy bar, and you expect me to believe that people are going to be begging and groveling for $10 per DAY jobs???

Let me tell you, if it gets that bad in the US, you sincerely won’t have to worry about it… Because the country will have been long gone…

ashdav

Walmart did not provide a job to the cleft lip guy with a severe speech impediment that worked at a small family owned grocery store that they ran out of business in front of my eyes. Why don’t you go spew your bull**** to that guy??? Do you have any idea how difficult ist is to get a job when you have a medical condition that prevents you from speaking clearly??? You’re an ass!

George

This comment is for Day to day. What I said was no joke. The US believes its former lifestyle is an entitlement. Wake up and realize that the glory days are over. We gave away our future many years ago. Wake up. Walmart jobs are great jobs. If you got a Walmart job, work hard and try and keep this job. Most of the rest of the world would love to make 7 bucks per hour. Americans believe it is beneath them. Wake up America. You had it good for awhile but now its time for other country’s to take over the gravy train. You blew it. You are broke. You shipped all the good jobs over seas. You demanded high wages. You paid for goods with worthless currency. You do not wish to pay your debts. Time to pay the piper. As I said, working for Walmart is going to be considered a very good job very soon. Embrace your new poverty cause it will be with you for many generations into the future.

nafta victim

As long as wages keep going down people will be forced pretty much to shop at walmart just because they will be the only retailer left standing. Excellent article Michael.

ashdav

I do not shop at walmart. i shop the local grocer using coupons and sales. i refuse to buy rainbow collored chemical soaked crap from walmart. I will not buy clothing, bedding or anything else there either. I buy at walmart ONLY a few things I cannot get at other local sources. I shop at GYMBOREE for my child’s clothing. By shopping the clearance off season and combining sales with their Gymbucks promotions I average spending around $4 -$5 for a top and $7-$8 for pants. Won’t pay more than $10 for a dress. That is CHEAPER THAN THE CRAP THEY SELL AT WALMART. The quality is better, the clothing lasts, and I can resell it when my child outgrows it. How much clothing from Walmart gets to the resale shop?

Brian M.

“Amazingly, 100 million customers shop at Wal-Mart every single week.”

************. The horror…

Gary

There is no problem with big business there is a problem with however with government favors. I’m surprised you didn’t talk about how Walmart cheated the import export laws. It’s not easy to find if you do your research you can trace walmarts explosion from Clinton being attorney general for AR state then on to governor. They completely looked the other way while Walmart cheated the system. What other reason is there that they grew and not target etc? Same concept and products are made in china mostly..Walmart was so happy that they put Hillary on Walmarts board of directors. First female ever! (btw Hillary used to be a union bashing lawyer for Walmart! What does that tell? That her democratic views are bs!) On another note other comments are completely correct. Thanks to taxes and regulations the government makes it nearly impossible to compete. If you go back to the 1950’s we paid the highest wages in the world and produced the cheapest stuff. We ran a trade surplus for a long time. Minus the cheating I wouldn’t mind Walmart they are just playing the cards they were delt.

http://theeconomiccollapseblog Leonard

Be a little bit careful, Michael. Lots of people could say that you are a socialist if you don’t submit to Wal- Mart with love. In order not to be a socialist, you have to agree with the monopoly/oligopoly of Wal-Mart or others.
I love your article about being a debt slave to the system! Both articles go together!

NickelthroweR

Greetings,

Walmart is a place for poor people to shop and work. Our town of 130,000 people refused to allow Walmart to set up shop here therefore we still have mom and pop stores and far fewer poor people as a result. Cheap goods make for cheap people.

“Merchants have no country. The mere spot they stand on does not constitute so strong an attachment as that from which they draw their gains.”

Thomas Jefferson

Basil

There’s a very strange exchange happening, that I can observe from my perch here on the (Canadian) west coast. China’s been shipping goods to sell through Walmart; the US has been shipping money back. Now, the entire newly rich portion of China that this trade has made rich is fleeing the catastrophic environmental and social mess that this trade has left in its wake.

The air is unbreathable, there are hundreds of demonstrations every day; so anyone who’s made any money is getting the hell out. By the million.

There will be major changes in China, too, as a result of this mess.

https://www.facebook.com/TheAbandonedHouseProject Jason

While I agree with the spirit of this article. I can also agree with other sentiments around it, such as if we made better products here in America at cheaper costs and better production rates we probably could compete. Ultimately Walmart is just working the rules to their favor and I bet any of the thousands of mom and pop places would play the same game if they could’ve to stay in business. That said, my family and I are about to be homeless for the 3rd time in 4 years. That is due to the fact that at age 42 having worked non-stop since I was 7, including to simultaneous full time jobs when my kids were toddlers, I have been unemployed or under employed for almost 4 years. I went to school and studied Medical Asst. and Phlebotomy over the last two years taking on over 2o grand in debt and still cannot find work! So let me tell you that if Walmart actually announced that they have sweat shops in China with children being beaten who don’t produce fast enough and they called and offered me a job as a door greeter I would be saying Welcome to Walmart! I daresay the writer of this article is not moving into an abandoned house on Weds July 11th like my family and I are and you can see the story about on my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheAbandonedHouseProject

Stephen Herbst

Wal-Mart recently purchased Makro part of Masstores (Pty)Ltd [or perhaps Masstores (Pty)Ltd completely not sure] here in South Africa.
Shoppers at Makro require a Makro card to make purchases. It is like a ‘passport’ which I’m sure they utilise to track shopper trends etc.
Anyhow, after hearing about the buy out by Wal-Mart I promptly destroyed my card and gave them the finger..!!
Wal-Mart would never have been able to do what they have done if there was consumer resistance!

madougl

I was a Assistant Manager for Wal-Mart for 4 years. Its saddens me to see how the associates were treated. I was told many times that I was too nice to them. I was injured on the job from a electric pallet jack malfunction, and then was treated terrible because I was “costing the company money”. So after having to have surgery and my supervisor doing all he could to make my life hell,, I quit. I may add that the only work I missed was the week of my surgery, they made me work on crutches. I did get unemployment for acouple years even though I quit, since they went against my doctors orders. I might add that Wal-Mart doesn’t treat women in management the same as they do men.

Michael

I want to thank all of the former Wal-Mart employees that have stepped forward and have posted comments on this article.

It has been very enlightening for all of us.

Michael

View from Abroad

Hello,

you forgot to mention the “Dead peasant”-policies Wal-Mart used to buy for their employees before this was ruled illegal.

As for your article: I am glad that we do not have them in Germany – they tried very hard about 10 years ago, but with their very special US-style company policies they were not able to gain acceptance, neither with their employees nor with their customers. They had to draw out with huge losses.

Tim

Hello,
as far as i can read you are from Germany and into this topic. I want to create a presentation about Walmart and maybe you have got some informatiom for me that could help me.
My E-mail is Gaha981@yahoo.de
Kind regards,
Tim

sandradee

true, there was a big Wal-Mart in munich a couple of years back. but suddenly there was no Wal-Mart anymore, they were gone and a big german superstore has moved in there instead.

Carrie

When I worked for Walmart many times I would rarely get a break. Working through breaks, we were short staffed. Being a cashier on my feet for 8 hours, or staying late, coming in early after my shift. I worked there for a few years. I love to talk, so it was great talking to the customers. I would be working there sick even, they would make me feel guilty if I were ever sick. I now rarely shop at Wal-Mart… I would rather not give them my money.

Hobbit

I have not shopped at WalMart for 10 years. Shoddy merchandise and them treating their employees like dirt were the reasons I quit going. My little town is 50 miles from a city, so I shop locally when I can to support the local merchants. Not everything can I find in my town, but I can save my errands up for a once a month trip to the city, but then I go to other grocery stores and hardware stores for my needs. I just don’t think the money most people spend on gas to go to the city is saved in the lower prices of WalMart. But they keep going and then coming back complaining about the jeans that were not sewn at the seam, etc. I have been to China and visited the factories, also the “homes” of people who work in them. Some of those people are children and earn 12 cents an hour.

Glenda

IT is amazing at all the negative remarks at Walmart. There are so many people that I know, personally, who would kill to get a job, any job, and that includes Walmart. Zombies in walmart? ROFL you have to be kidding. My grandchildren and I run through walmart looking for the best buys we can find. Those clearance jeans for 5.00, you darn right I am going to buy them! Those tee shirts for the kids on clearance for 2.00 dang right, I am going to buy them. We have fun and laugh. Who cares if people don’t like it or as some do, join in.

As Wally was growing, stores could have put them out of business, but the almighty dollar was too important and now.. Who is left but the company who was willing to take a temporary loss on somethings to keep their doors open? Might as well blame Aldis for their lower can good costs, Blame the local meat market for the better cuts of meat that I am willing to pay a little more for.

Want to keep those little businesses in business, watch for their sales and stock up then. I do. I don’t care has the lowest price, that is where I shop and I buy the specials.. That includes Wally world.

Glenda

Our walmart employees don’t complain about wages but are happy for a job. Most of the problems are the same as in any company. Personal/coworker problems. People are friendly and helpful. Most know you if you come in more than once every couple of weeks and even remember the children’s names. Merchandising monster? Get a different job then. Go to a fast food restaurant. Go work digging ditches. Go work in a meat packing plant. Then work at Walmart and complain. Criminy, everyone needs to realize that there is no perfect job!!!!!

Gay Veteran

yeah, us peasants shouldn’t complain to our korporate overlords

A.S.

why can’t the ceo take a 99% pay cut? i think there should be a law that no ceo can earn more than 100K per year. give the rest to the employees that break their back. i bet the ceo never worked a single day in a low-paying job his whole life!

A.S.

actually if he is making around 35 million, then a max of 100k per year would be more than a 99% pay cut. still, it utterly disgusting that anyone can make that much for doing less work than the common 6.50 per hour employee.

THOMAS JEFFERSON

Either your a BRAINWASHED MORON or an Internet TROLL for WALMART either way I would love to SLAP U UPSIDE YOUR EMPTY HEAD! Wake up **************!

Steve Barnett

IF poor people would just realize that they could all get together and demand Wal-Mart hand over some of the profits to the employees. If the employees would strike for one week they would lose 10 billion. Just keep on shopping at that congomerate. What pisses me off is they sell consumer stuff, then have to go to groceries, then banks, hair cuts, and all the other things. Now they sell cars and soon they will have to be knocked down, because they are too big.
I buy nothing there. I find you have to park 500 foot from the door. Then you waste so much time. I mean having to wait behind people.
If people would just realize all they need is to grow their own garden and raise chickens, then all they need at the store is fresh fruit and veggies and toiletries. I get sick and tired of seeing fat people pushing a car full of processed junk.

W. R. Flynn

Michael,

Thank you for having the courage to point out all aspects of our tragic spiral from serving humanity as a guiding light into one of serving the darkness.

Some elements of this sad journey aren’t readily apparent to all of us. Surrendering our once leading manufacturing base to those overseas in order to buy stuff cheaper is one of the starkest. Guiding and steering this ugly decent is Walmart.

Empirically demonstrating their leadership role in destroying American greatness should open many eyes.

Please, everyone, shop less and shop elsewhere.

W. R. Flynn

Stephen

I also work at Wally World and I survive because my wife has a decent paying job and the house the car not the wife’s and no credit cards are payed for. I use the job for some scratch to buy food that’s not getting cheaper and pay Property TAX and the house insurance. Also car insurance for mine and help with the heating bills in the winter.
And I always say if you work part time be very close to where you work. 4 miles away.So between Wally World and playing music I make a living. And as someone here said that your whole check will go for just my groceries then what I have to work more hours just to pay the bills. That sucks the life out of a person. Wages being higher would be great but these retail jobs are what they are. This system is getting tighter and tighter around the neck of people and we need to break free before they pull the trap door just like they did to Sadam if you know what I mean. Love your site and Walmart is just greed at its finest.

walmart shoppers are traitors

Attention wally world shoppers we have a special on American flags (made in China) today only they are .35 pesos comrades!

http://OgallalaAquifer Lazy Ike

This is the central issue that is being ignored in this year’s presidential campaign. CNBC needs to break down the macro figures they regularly report with respect to the upper 20% verses the lower 80% in order to provide the public with a better idea of what it happening macro economically. There can be no increase in demand and ergo an increase in business spending if the manufacturing and service economies are continually shipped out of the USA. It affects everything because worker’s wages support things such as social security and medicare because their revenues are based on wage levels and payroll taxes which have been declining, therefore these programs are also declining.Many of the fiscal problems could be solved with increasing wage levels.

NorthernCanuck

I can’t speak for the accuracy of this but I remember reading some comments several years ago by, I think, a financial analyst, who said he was amazed that Walmart was able to self-finance its own growth so rapidly from one original store in Arkansas. He seemed to think it was a financial impossiblity. Then the conversation turned to the alleged CIA drug-smuggling operations through Mena airport, Arkansas, and whether or not the huge and continuing proceeds of those operations might have been laundered through selected Arkansas businesses. As I recollect, the discussion stopped right there! Again, I can’t speak for the accuracy of any implied or actual allegations involved here, but that brief series of comments some years ago has always remained at the back of my mind!

tyler

This the truth I live in a town which wal-mart has destroyed small businesses. It’s wrong people should have the ability to go out start a business and support a family. I work for Wal-mart and this is very true. The pay is terrible and moving up is very hard if ur not a favorite in a store. Small businesses need to take placement and smaller government taxes so they can start. Outsourcing to other countries should become illegal! No more buying for cheap labor and cheap prices. It’s killing this country.

ArizonaPatriot

We all need to stop spouting the “Party Lines” Walmart is not evil, they are a corporation that has been given a significant competitive advantage by Republicans and Democrats. If we forced our elected representatives to level the playing field, jobs and small business’s would start coming back. We are all too quick to blame the opposite party for our woes, and if you research the money flow, it goes to both parties and the American Worker is the one who suffers. However, if we dont take action soon, it may be too late. One good example is the unemployment stats we are being fed, if you go back to counting unemployment using the same formula that we used before the Clinton Administration changed the calculations (and not changed back by Bush) our REAL unemployment is almost 19%. This is unstainable long term. There is power in numbers and we need to stop this Democrat/Republican division and throw out anyone who does not support American interests i.e. jobs, Immigration controls, stronger families etc.

I haven’t set foot in a Walmart for the past 10 years. They changed my oil and messed up my car. It cost me over $200. I went to Walmart to get reimbursed and they said “prove to us someone else didn’t change the oil after we did”. They wanted me to PROVE A NEGATIVE!

Because of their greed, they have lost thousands and thousands of dollars of sales from me. Capitalism? I love it. Walmart? I HATE it!

Peensez

They messed up my neighbors car too. The oil filter was not tightly replaced. The resulting leak COULD HAVE resulted in a blown head gasket, but the neighbor saw the leak and caught it beforehand.

They also did tire puncture repair for me…and a few weeks later, the same tire was very low. The diagnosis was….”Yeah, the plug was leaking so we replaced it, but you had another puncture that we had to fix” which I doubt. They just didnt want to NOT get paid for fixing what they messed up.

NEVER AGAIN!! I hate the place. Because of the dishonesty and lack of accountability when the mess up…the cheap crap they sell…and most especially due to the ever-present screaming kid. Always!

JMorcan

I know business owners in China who say they often lose bids to WalMart because they are undercut by Chinese prisoners. Think about that the next time you feel the urge to believe lower taxes or less regulation will help the U.S. compete.

john

Ok, I don’t want to give the wrong impression here but everyone is criticizing the idea of having some of our jobs lost to overseas production, (i know its not some, its a significant amount, yes i know) but what everyone seems to be forgetting is that having a significant amount of our production overseas decreases the cost for how much we pay for the goods that were produced over seas. If it raised the cost, no corporation would do it. I AM IN NO WAY TRYING TO SAY I AGREE WITH HOW MANY JOBS HAVE BEEN LOST TO OUTSOURCING, ALL I AM DOING IS GIVING THE OTHER SIDE. THE MATTER OF FACT IS THAT WAY TOO MANY JOBS HAVE BEEN LOST TO OUTSOURCING, BUT THE SOLUTION IS NOT TO COMPLETELY ELIMINATE IT, IT IS TO REDUCE IT SIGNIFICANTLY. But, with that said, if we reduce it too much prices of goods would skyrocket and none of us would be able to afford to buy anything. The solution is simply to find a nice balance. But, that is just my opinion, so feel free to disagree.

JackieG

I have not spent a dollar at Walmart since 1999.
I bought a chair and it broke after 10 minutes use.
The stitching just unravelled and fell apart.
I went to Canadian Tire bought a similar chair and it still is in use today.
The Black & Decker appliance in Walmart is not the same one appearing in Sears.
Cheaper cord, cheaper switches, more money spent on packaging.
Colourful junk.

Ankynan

You have to watch everything you buy there. I knew someone who bought a computer, had a problem & called the manufacturer, only to be told they couldn’t help because it was a refurbished computer. She said, no, it’s new, I just got it from WalMart. They said WalMart sold ONLY refurbished models of their brand. She checked the box, & there was NO mention of it beung refurbished.

Russ

Wal-Mart should be classified as a monopoly and broken up like AT&T was decades ago. When a company has so influence it has got to go!

Jack

Most logical approach at this point

http://www.infowars.com/ Anon Patriot

HERE is a graphic, which shows how much larger is the U.S. Trade Deficit, in relation to China’s Trade Surplus: http://dont-tread-on.me/?p=20120 Anyone who shops at Walmart can congratulate themselves, on making the U.S. Trade Deficit far greater than China’s Trade Surplus.

Will Getbetter

To all Americans I used to live in Reno Nv for 2 years, and if you think you have it bad. I now live in Canada and the local businesses up here are crooked, and crooks Canadians get raped in pricing. I can hardly wait for someone, anyone cheaper to come in and force lower prices. So many regulations in Canada the Tv is a joke and they pay double what Americans pay. The cell phones are still among the highest rates in the world. The cars are about $20 000 more expensive. taxes well add a couple of zeros to the end and that’s what is paid up here. The worst part is min wage is the same, cheap booze is non existent. so you can’t make any money, you can’t drink, and there is nothing on Tv if you can afford it. To top it all off the people are so angry no one believes in karma.

NorthernCanuck

Wow! Such barely-repressed rage and anger! “You can’t make any money, you can’t drink, and there is nothing on Tv if you can afford it.” Perhaps the solutions might be, in order, 1. Get a job where you CAN make some money (learn a trade or take a college course if necessary); 2. quit drinking; 3. watch less TV. Your Canada sure doesn’t sound like MY Canada. I think we have a case of projection here, rather than observation. The economy is still good in Canada, and people generally are polite and cheerful. Except for you, apparently.

SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE

I FEEL SPIRITUALLY DRAINED AFTER GOING TO WALMART. MAYBE IM PICKING UP THE CRIES OF SLAVE LABOR AND CHILDREN SCREAMING FROM THE SHOES AND OTHER CHEAP PLASTIC JUNK THEY SELL!!Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.LORD DO YOU HEAR THEM?? DO YOU HEAR OUR CRIES?I HAVE NO DOUBT HE DOES!! JUDGEMENT IS AT THE DOOR BABYLON AMERICA!!!But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. 25“Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. 26“Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way!!OUR FAMILY CALLS WALMART THE EVIL AXIS!!

http://new-terra-natural-food.com Csafarmer

Small local businesses owners most often are active members of their communities. They often own their stores, and their homes and pay taxes and maintenance on both.

Local business owners are little league coaches, and Girl Scout Leaders, and participants in other important community activities. They help to build parks, and libraries, and sports fields.

A strong network of local businesses supporting and in turn being supported by their communities is what makes viable, livable communities possible.

This vibrant network has been destroyed so that Joe Consumer can save 50 cents on a pack of toilet paper. Real good trade.

nick6222

The issue is where there is a demand walmart will fill it at the lowest cost to consumers.a the solution is if we dont buy there crap they go out of buisness.
For the shoppers at walmart remember the industty your in will soon outsource your job also and then you cant complain about it. Because you support it happening to others.

Roger Anderson

Mr. Snyder, you obviously hate Capitalism, Free Enterprise, profit and freedom itself. Since you obviously hate America so much, I suggest you try Cuba or North Korea, they would be more to your liking.

By the tone of your article, I suspect you also hate GOD and anything in our society that is still decent of which there are very few things.

It time for you to face the facts about what is left of our once beloved Country. We have a marxist-anarchist-atheist president who is rushing the Country over a cliff in an attempt to truly cause a total economic collapse and you are slamming Wal-Mart for being the best run and most successful company in the world? I suggest you stick to exposing the president for the evil, pathetic, maniacal puppet he is.

Why should any company in America hire America workers? Unions have destroyed our work force. For example, public service employees and the SEIU union members are making 40% to 100% more than non-union workers for the exact same job and they are far less skilled and far less productive. The unions are still very capable of murdering any competing union leaders and burning down competing non-union companies.

Why would anyone get involved in a business where their employees are FORCED to be members of a union? Instead of the $68 a hour with benefits that SEIU members make on average, I would rather pay 95 cents an hour to an employee in a foreign country who never misses a day of work for fear of starving.

I would spend a great deal of time and money on inspection and quality control, since there is always the possibility of substandard goods, but I also would be selling those products for far less than American made products.

Face it Mr Snyder, American manufacturing is DEAD; we are now a service and internet society. It is really stupid for an American company to manufacture anything in this Country. Wal-Mart has got it right and you have got it wrong. We need to look to other areas besides manufacturing to create jobs.

Michael

Roger:

I am afraid that you have no idea how wrong you are.

And if you would take a look at things objectively you would see that I deeply love “Capitalism, Free Enterprise, profit and freedom itself”.

Michael

A.S.

Roger, you think is it ethical then for the CEO to make close to 28 million per year. Why not take a self-imposed pay cut to around 100k per year and give the rest to the employees. Why not give 100% health care to all employees? Because the ceo, managers, stockholders, etc, are evil.

TrollKilla

One thing I noticed after returning to the US after being away for 15 years is how much it IS becoming like China. The middle class have all but dissapeared. There is a hatred of anyone on Gov. assistance, although the majority have worked hard all their lives and have lost jobs due to the economy. Our booming prison system is the only successful manufacturer in the nation. And everyone wears the same clothes, like in North Korea, because Walmart only stocks so many different kinds of clothing. I found that kinda funny. I actually went in one out of curiosity. I was dissapointed to note that it wasnt like “People of Walmart.” website, but a pretty unsatisfying shoppng experience, with lots of cheap garbage and plastice looking vegetables.

Just Bob

This argument about ‘outsourcing’ and Wal-Mart is an old argument that is almost 20 years old at this point. As soon as NAFTA passed in ’94 and China was admitted to the WTO in ’99, this is the direction the US was headed in and it increasingly meant a move away from a manufacturing base increasingly towards a service-based economy. Organized labor lost and lost big time in the US. Private labor union membership is below 8% of the overall U.S. private workforce and at their lowest figures in over a century. Private unions have ceased to be a relevant political force or campaign contributor for the Democrats. Public sector employees unions are and we are about to begin a process where they get broken and reduced too. Already happened in Wisconsin and it is going to come to other states too with heavy public union membership.

It is also funny to see some of the dopey commentators on here recycle some much of the generic neoliberal garbage that has some out of the University of Chicago Economics dept. too. Reality is that that after the Cold War ended in ’91 with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the post WW2 social contract between capital and labor that had held since the New Deal largely became irrelevant. ‘Free trade’ (which is such a bogus and ridiculous term because it never has really existed between nation/kingdoms/nation-states) was pushed and pushed hard especially after the Berlin Wall came down in ’89.

It meant moving production to the places where the overall costs of production were the cheapest, labor either couldn’t organize or faced incredibly difficult barriers, and there were few/no regulations especially in regards to environmental conditions. Its pure capitalism. As the manager of a corporation, you primary goal is to increase overall revenues and margins.

The joke though is going to end up being on American CEOs and companies though because unlike their American counterparts Chinese politicians have enacted policies and put in regulations in place that have a heavy emphasis on a ‘Chinese first’ policy that looks to improve China over the intermediate/long-term. Already the US Chamber of Commerce is crying foul about numerous issues with China including IP protection, pace at which markets are opening, pegging of the yuan, etc. Irony is that it is these same companies that wanted Chinese admission into the WTO fasttracked in the first place without adequate provisions in many cases. Chinese politicians have largely told the US companies and politicians to pound sand and have enacted a ‘tic for tac’ policy on US imports whenever US politicians enact a policy/tariff that hurts Chinese producers.

Companies like Wal-Mart could ultimately care less about their US workers and the communities in which they live. I have no doubt that if the technology existed where Wal-Mart could largely restock their stores without humans they would. Wal-Mart stock has been a dog for nearly a decade now and their CEO & board realize that the US is an important market for them given its sheer size but that if they are really going to grow their success depends on international growth rates and penetration.

Despise Wal-Mart and everything they stand for including their emphasis on creating an American consumer culture that values low prices and convenience above everything else. Anathema to everything I grew up to and was raised on including both set of my grandparents who survived the Depression by doing everything but that. If I want quality furniture, I will contract with the local Amish in Lancaster County to build it to spec and take care of it so I have it for the next 30-40 years. I will raise a number of my own food and buy as much as I can locally from wholesale local producers including chicken and pork. Ditto tools. They carry sheer garbage. I will either find an American or German manufacturer, pay a price premium of probably at least 50%, and take care of that tool so that it last me nearly my entire life. I still have a number of tools from my grandfather that are now going on 80 years.

Stop watching TV and wasting your leisure time and learn how to do thing for yourself. Learn where to buy things locally as much as possible and be willing to pay a bit of a higher price for things, buy less of it, & learn to take care of the things you buy so they last a much longer time.

Working Poor

Face it. Especially with the economy today people are going to shop where they can afford to shop, me included. Myself and my family are living on the edge of economic disaster and may be moving in with elder inlaws in the next few months. Simply put, Walmart is cheaper on almost everything. As far as things cheaply made…I’ve got living room furniture (a tv table and an end table) that are mission style, bought at Walmart. They are super sturdy and were very reasonably priced. I love them. I’ve bought more expensive things that lasted no time at all.

WalmartProud

Working Poor, you are right. And those buyers in the furniture department are working hard to get the best quality and a fair price from the suppliers so that you can have something you are proud to have in your home – while still being able to afford it.

TrollKilla

Are you joking? Man, if you wanna troll, at least choose a more neutral name. “Jeff Jones” or something. Wallmart Proud??? Who, except for the Waltons, is “proud” of Walmart?

Texas Realist

Why shouldn’t you be proud of Walmart?! They are still an American owned company and proof that if you have a dream and are willing to put the effort into it to make it happen, it can. So quit bitching about Walmart and get out there and put that energy to good use, pursuing your very own dreams… You wouldn’t hate Walmart so much if you had been Sam Walton, the guy with the dream.

sojo

Who buys furniture from Wal-Mart? You might as well make it yourself.,, with 2 tooth pic’s and gorilla glue, and if that makes you proud to have in your home, then maybe you should find something else to be proud in. Like a college degree.

Doug Danzeisen

Eye opening article- Walmart is now no longer the lowest cost seller on many things, check it out and compare. The comments were most eye opening, thanks to all of you who shared your experiences.

Douglas McIntosh

We have to change the way we do business. We have to grow as people. We have to start manufacturing again in a big way. Don’t blame Walmart blame ourselves.

Alexa

Well, YEAH, that is the obvious goal, but you don’t see that Wal-Mart is sweeping away the opportunity to keep up local manufacturing? Isn’t that the whole point?

Andrew Bulles

Here in Simi Valley, CA… our local government is giddy with the prospects of having a NEW Walmart Express… apparently this new concept specializes in grocery items and soft goods. Seems to me, we will see one of the RALPH’s or Albertson’s close in the 12 months after the Walmart openings… WE HAVE TWO Targets and a Walmart already. When the NEW Supertarget opened the Ralph’s store about a mile away immediately announced that it would close… Now, we got another empty space to fill.

Alexa

Case in point! Repulsive.

Annie Dobson

I worked at Walmart supercenter for two years. Started out as a cashier and was forced into a job in the deli so my sister in law could be given a customer service managers position over the cashiers. I wasnt aske to move I was told I either had to move or get laid off. They pay the bare minimum wage you can get insurance but it takes a lot of your income. They cut hours all the time when I quit I was working 16.5 hours a week at 9 an hour try living on that. It cost more in gas to drive there. They show no appreciatation for their employees and treat them like scab labor.

Margie

Wow. I didn’t know how bad they were. Haven’t shopped there for years, just don’t like it.

Kevin

The town I live in now wishes that they had considered more closely how many times a week our PD would be responding to shoplifting complaints at the Walmart.

John

Rember Ross’ “giant sucking sound” re: NAFTA? He was so right back then in ’92. Oh well, we humans were never very good at delayed gratification or reason.

We fed and clothed the world after the carnage of world wars when the manufacturing bases of other nations were reduced to rubble. Treasure poured from across the globe into the US and that built the ‘burbs, the greatest waste of resources in all of recorded history. Today cheap labor from the orient has emptied that cupboard of excess by the very thing our fathers fought for during that war…the death of socialism and the preservation of capitalism. Remember, wars are always about economic systems and never what’s right or wrong.

In conclusion I find the title of this website peculiar, “collapse.”

To me it’s reaching the equilibrium that’s been out of whack when we tried to live by credit and currency inflation. But hey if you are in denial don’t despair, maybe with the 50% of GDP we spend in bullets we can keep alive the fantasy that US workers deserve 20Xs what the rest of the world makes for doing the same job. But it means a hell of a lot more air strikes, a lot more killing of brown people. But something tells me most of you are alright with that, aren’t you? I mean after all, you see the new 60 inch screens at Sam’s yet?

http://www.TrumpetCallofGodonline.com Toma Joel

Thus says The Lord: Who are all these before Me?! What people is this who have despised Me, these who walk proudly, hating Me and My Word?!…

Ignorant and sinful people!…

You have become as false gods in My eyes!… Detestable idols!

Each one of you, from the least to the greatest, have turned from Me,
To worship your idols and corrupted images!…

YOU WORSHIP YOURSELVES!

Yes, you uphold every false image and detestable doctrine, with which you spit in My face! You flee all accountability, and rest comfortably in your sin, bearing a multitude of bitter fruit in unrighteousness… LAWLESS PEOPLE!… You have despised Me and My Law! Therefore, around your necks shall it be strewn, and you shall bear its weight!… Every jot and every tittle!… Says The Mighty One, The God of Jacob!

HERE I AM!… The God of ALL!…

The God of recompense and judgment!

My peoples, hear the Word of The Living God!… All peoples of the earth, hear the voice of your maker: You have all entered in!… The Day is here, and you have entered in!… THE DAY OF THE LORD!

Therefore, bow down heavily…

Fall on your faces, and wail loudly!… CRY OUT!…

Die to yourselves, and grab hold of The Holy One of Israel,
And pray that you are counted worthy to escape!

I lie not!… YOU HAVE ENTERED IN!

Lo, did I not say to you that your knowledge was useless, and all your thoughts and imaginings were in vain?… For I am The Lord, and I do according to the counsel of My own will.
For the scholars cry, “FALSE!”, and the Christians plot in vain against My messengers… And the people of Israel walk proudly, exalting themselves by their own knowledge, though they remain ignorant, for the Truth is still hidden from their eyes.
My own sheep stumble! The whole world falls down and is broken!… When, O peoples, will you cast yourselves down? When will you be humbled? When will you forsake your knowledge and be free?!… I AM THE LORD! EVEN I AM HE! There is no knowledge apart from Me, and there can be no understanding, save it was given you by Mashiach… HE is your Master!

Have you not felt these pangs, O earth?!
Have you not recoiled in pain, O heavens?!
Has not fear grabbed hold of you, O mighty nations?!…

BLIND AND HARD PEOPLES, REPENT!

I am calling all peoples to repent and to turn! My face is turned against you! My shoulders are set! My hand is stretched forward!… WOE! WOE! WOE! TO THOSE WHO DWELL UPON THE EARTH! The fire is kindled!… All flesh shall burn!
I shall strike the animals, and they shall rage against you! I shall strike the waters, and they shall rise up against you! From bitterness to the raging of the seas, the waters shall oppress you!… Death shall increase quickly!
I shall strike the mountains, and they shall speak and bring forth a great noise! They shall consume you and bury your cities! I shall strike the heavens, and it shall rain down fire and flooding rain, with a great multitude of hail!
Lo, even the detestable birds who dwell there shall descend upon you, and torment you seven days! I shall strike the core of the earth, and it shall be shaken! And all manner of plagues shall ascend upon you from beneath!…

For I am The Lord who reigns!…

He who laid the foundations!…

He who formed it and causes to be!…

Behold, I am also He, who shall bring forth a swift end!

For the whole earth is but a footstool beneath My feet!… A rock in My hand, made of limestone!… Easily broken!
A great war has broken forth! The battle is waged! Yet The Lord’s hand is not at all weakened… Behold, My strength is increased, and My wrath overflows My cup!… I AM COMING DOWN!
I shall rob, and I shall pillage, and I shall surely take My spoil! I shall oppress the oppressors and conquer the land! I shall kill the generals, and slaughter the captains, and tear all mighty men to pieces!… FOR STRONG IS THE LORD!

Walmart is a perfect example of how the currently dominant laissez faire capitalism will eventually fail. Like any eco-system, any entity that becomes too successful is destined for ruin or extinction. Should Walmart and other massive organisations significantly dominate the US economy, and pay subsistence wages to its employees, they must eventually exhaust the customer base that uses these organisations. The 1% of the population that absorbs 90% of the nation’s wealth simply cannot spend enough, and do not pay sufficient tax, to sustain an economy that is forced to give financial support to increasing numbers of poor in order to prevent violent social unrest. The only way the situation can be sustained is to borrow from banks and, eventually, that source will dry up, as is currently happening. Government response is to print fiat money (which doesn’t really exist) which is, in effect, debt. It won’t be long before the entire edifice will collapse unless something is done to change the nature of capitalism to be more ethical and socially responsible, but while big business controls government, this will never happen.

Ankynan

That need to support “increasing numbers of poor” is why we have a war on the poor & people being encouraged to carry & use weapons against each other. Yes, it sounds crazy, but as Dickens pointed out in A Christmas Carol, via Scrooge, the attitude is “Let the poor go to a workhouse or die. That would reduce the burden on the rest of us.”

A.S.

People of Walmart: start planning a walkout day. All of you around the U.S. at the same time, walkout and go home. They can’t reprimand or even fire all of you. They will have way too much paperwork and lose billions.

Kelly

Buy from local Farmers markets and do your part in changing the world if you really give a crap. “Be the change you wish to see in the world”, If you aren’t willing to make a difference, stop complaining.

Alexa

Did somebody say they weren’t willing to make a difference? I totally agree with you. Read Adbusters, read Ishmael and Story of B, and we’ll be getting somewhere further as well.

Claudia

Some facts this story left out is if you read the ingredients of nearly every food item on Wal-Mart shelves, soy is in there. I stopped shopping at Wal-Mart to eat healthy raw veggies and fruit from local farmers who do not use pesticides. Meat in stores are full of antibiotics and growth hormones which contribute to unhealthy sick families. Which in turn raises your health care bills. So by buying cheap mostly processed food and meat full of junk, you are spending more money for doctors and prescriptions. And don’t even get me started about feeding your children/families at MacDonalds. Wal-Mart won’t even consider hiring anyone who is not on government aid because they get kick-backs from the government for hiring them. (Not the people needing temporary assistance fault.) Wal-Mart has become one of the enemies from within. Wake up America! Also MacDonalds is not your friend either. They control how beef is fed, raised and butchered to keep cost down too. Wonder why you and your family is sickly? Well people, we are what we eat.

Martha

Do you know what it means to have your own shop like our ancestors did? No? and you never will be free to to have your own store, or know what it is like to to be your own person. Guess what? pretty soon Walmart will be America’s grocer. Hardware. Hairdresser. Optometrist et al. You will buy what they sell, period. Do you really really want this?

WalmartProud

Martha, no need to fear. That might happen in a Socialist or Communistic society, but in a Capitalist Democracy like we get to live in, as soon as someone recognizes a need, BOOM, a new product or service is created. So as long as we support Capitalism and a free Democracy, you will always have a choice. In what you buy, where you live, what phone company you choose to go with, and even who you marry.

Alexa

WalmartProud:

I suggest reading some material that isn’t in mainstream circulation. Adbusters magazine is a great place to start. Then try Daniel Quinn’s novel, ISHMAEL. If you learn a thing or two, maybe you’ll change your mind.

optimist

Agreed

kdstrite

I was saying to anyone who would listen 10 years ago that I won’t shop at Wal Mart if the are holding the last bag of Ol’ Roy and the last folding lawn chair left on this planet….I think it’s time to return to that mantra…..:)

Bluedog

We recently experienced severe storms in our area which caused massive power outages. Hundreds of people lost all the food in their fridge. Wal Mart raised their prices. Enough said

sandradee

in Canada, province alberta, after the flood they lowered their Prices for bottled water and granolo bars.

WalmartProud

This whole article with almost every response is what is wrong with America. The sense of entitlement that everyone has anymore is what is causing the decline in this country. The entitlement to gain at everyone’s expense but their own. And to blame Walmart? Come on. If any of you understood what causes capitalism to work is that if you provide a product that people want, they will buy it. If you don’t, they won’t and they’ll go elsewhere. That’s how one store became two, and two became one thousand. Etc etc. People like/need/want the products and prices that Walmart carries. It’s the customers that are voting with their pocketbook. And all of the fans of Dollar General and Target? Shhhh, big secret, did you know that they buy from the same suppliers as Walmart? Oh, and Best Buy? Yep, same suppliers. But did you know that Best Buy is selling the same IPod that Walmart sells for $50 more? Want to hate Best Buy for that? Nope, how about you “vote” by not buying one there. Best Buy will get the hint and either lower their prices, delete the item or decide that they don’t need to be competitive with that item because they are making their profit in some other category. Walmart isn’t forcing anyone to come in their doors. They are trying to offer fair products at a fair price to every person. All of the people who complain about less expensive, foreign-made products? OK, so Big Talker, would you still be willing to buy that IPod if it was $350 instead of $120? How about that T-shirt that Walmart sells at $8.00 – which is exactly the same product the Gap sells for $35 – but Gap takes more margin. Why is no one complaining about that? And you’re the same person who buys the $8.00 t-shirt from Walmart because maybe it’s all you can afford. No shame there, not everyone is making 6-digits. But why crucify the company that is trying to help out the people who don’t make a ton of money? Why complain when they try to keep prices as low as possible (maybe by eliminating that awesome People Greeter at the front door) so that they don’t have to pass on price increases to the customers. The people they care about. The buyers at Walmart all try to get the best deal for YOU, the American (and internatinal) public. Instead of hating on others, work on improving yourself, get more education, try to get promoted in your current job, try to get a better job, whatever. Turn your energy to the positive and try to make things better. Bet you wouldn’t like it if Obama didn’t continue the Bush tax cuts on the “98%” right? How about if you have to pay double for toothpaste, food, and bed pillows? Willing to do that? Didn’t think so. Go jump on a better soapbox.

Alexa

Yes, I am completely willing to pay double for toothpaste, food and bed pillows. And I do. I shop at my local natural foods store and I have an organic shredded latex pillow. I am anti-consumerism. You’re right, CONSUMERISM is the devil, but it had no choice than to stem from CAPITALISM, no? Read Adbusters magazine and get an idea of what’s really going on in the world. Thank you.

http://www.dontmesswithmama.com Tracey Black

Ugh! I can’t stand Wal-Mart. I’d rather spend more money to shop elsewhere for better quality and as much as possible US-made products.

Common Sense

WE are all to blame for what WalMart is getting away with. We have become greedy, materialistic hoarders. We have also let unions go from fighting for safe working conditions and medical care to wanting hourly rates that is ridiculous. We need to stop consuming so much. We also need to make companies like WalMart and their “American” counter parts who manufacture in other countries pay tariffs for the foreign made products that they bring into this country.Other countries certainly tax us when we send things into their markets. Then we need to balance out the trade between us and China. No country should be allowed to import that many goods into this country without us selling the same to them. Problem is that there are too many pockets being filling by these people. If it does come to being ruin by a few elite I only have one thing to say to that: remember what happened to the elite in France.

Cathy

That Wal-Mart manager must have hade a really bad store, I worked for wal mart for over ten years and I know that our store manager 10 years ago made over 125,000 a year plus bonuses. I hate it for that family though. Sad situation.

Chuck

I have a hard time believing that one in three Americans goes to Walmart once a week or that one in six would go twice a week. Where are some of these numbers coming?

Lita

I have agoraphobia and even I know those statistics aren’t far off, if not spot on.
The portrait of the average american is one of abhorrent ignorance and consumerism.

http://cajunmamadiary.blogspot.com Charlie Leger

I think it depends a lot on where you live. I live close to a Wal-Mart store, and I know neighbors and friends who go there quite often (probably every other day)just to pick up “a couple things,” and usually come back with a few bags full. This stat probably a national average, between the people who live right next to a Wal-Mart and go every other day, and the people who live a few hours away and only go every other month.

Steve Barnett

I can easily believe that. I mean people might need some dish soap, laundry detergent, plastic plates and cups, bleach and wash clothes. Why not go to Dollar General and get in and get out? You might drive 10 miles to Wal-Mart and only need a few things, but the store is so big you will spend 4 times as much time and buy more things than you need. You can buy everything cheaper on-line. You can buy a quality shirt for $14 on line when at Wal-Mart cheap junk is $12. A fiberglass hammer at Wal-Mart is $15 on line is $4 at Harbor Freight. Foser Grant sunglasses $15, but Dollar General $3. Don’t think Wal-Mart is so cheap. So give your business to the smaller people and don’t worry if you spend a couple more dollars. YOu might save time and money by not going to the huge stores.

BFH

If the nation would just not go to Walmart for ONE week they would then listen to us and bring jobs back to America. Just one single week would work. Most would probably do it but how do you get the word out on an national scale? Our dollars do have the ability to get our voice heard!!!

Steve Barnett

I got a lot better idea. If people would just not go to football, baseball, basketball, Lacross, soocer, Monster Trucks, WWF wrestling, Nascar and hockey for a week we could find cures for all the diseases they keep saying they need just a few more dollars for and probably balance the budget. Americans spend 10 billion a week going to sports venues.

Athena

Well, it’s not a BETTER idea, but it’s another GREAT idea. I bet if word got out about boycotting walmart and there was a leader of the organization, that leader would die of “mysterious causes”.

Mark

Stupid idea…To quit taking part in things you enjoy?
Get real! We would NOT find cures for all the diseases with just s few more dollars. “They” are wrong, and just who is “they” anyway.

ken

It simply comes down to what you stand for as a human being. Any person knowing that slaves make most of Walmarts merchandise and still shop there, well they kinda asking for what comes next….what comes around goes around

Patriot1

The problem is there are too many welfare dummies who shop there, they’re going to buy stuff for as cheap as they can.

Steve Barnett

The people of this country should just shut up and just buy the junk and move along. We complain about being groped at the airport, but we keep on flying. We complain about a store selling junk, but there are many others we can shop. What about online. If you need clothes for a different season just order them in advance. Compare the prices. They can have one warehouse sending out goods. You think Wal-Mart can be that cheap with tens of thousands of brick and mortar stores with thousands of trucks and all those employees? No way. They are not cheaper than going to the farmer and buying the food. Look at Harbor Freigh and all those stores on line. Let the UPS truck bring it to you.
If in 10 years there is only Wal-Mart nobody else could even start up. You better spend some money in these stores like Sears.
I used to do the same stupid shite with gas. Instead of giving my business to the local yocals I tried to buy gas the cheapest.

Steve Barnett

What is the disease called where someone has to go to Wal-Mart on Saturday and buy all their junk there? Drive 10 extra miles and then waste time with all the people going to Wal-Mart, but you saved $10 on a weedwhacker.

Morty Meekel

What? Put the pipe down dummy.

The_L

I have lived within half a mile of a Wal-Mart for about a year now. It could not possibly be more conveniently located.

I can count on my fingers the number of times I have actually been to that Wal-Mart. I only go there when I want something that none of my usual shopping places carry, which isn’t often.

I spend maybe $100/year at Wal-Mart, and I consider even that to be too much money.

Fred

This is the most ridiculous post I have ever seen. I you don’t like WalMart then don’t go. The stats you used are kind of confusing. You are talking about shutting down a company that employs 2 million people in order to bring back 133,000 manufacturing jobs.
The only reason that any of their employees are on welfare is because of their own poor choices. They didn’t get hired at Walmart and then go into poverty. Most likely they were there before and Walmart was their only option for a job.
Sam Walton is NOT an evil man. He is the perfect example of the AMERICAN DREAM!! He started out as a small business owner just like everyone else. He worked his ass off and was able to grow Walmart into a great business. If everyone would just realize that hard work can get you there too than you’d have a different mind set.
Who cares where Walmart gets their stock from. If you are crying about foreign goods, take a look at your entertainment center. I can guarantee you that one of your electronics in your living room is mad in Asia somewhere. Sony, Toshiba, LG, Vizio, all made in Asia. I can only name one group of people who can truthfully say they are living without anything made or purchased from oversee’s. THE AMISH.
Get a life and get out there and kill something and drag it home. Stop crying about someone else’s success.

Smokey

My daughter and her husband have both worked for a time at Wal-Mart– before they both found better jobs. Many of the people they worked with were receiving some sort of aid because their salaries were so low. They were badly treated as employees, but because of the unemployment situation in this area, they went along because there was someone else just waiting to fill their shoes.

The sad part about it is that many poor people (and that includes the “working poor,” which used to be called the Middle Class) cannot afford to shop elsewhere. It is a vicious circle, and I am considering writing a piece about just how vicious it is and perhaps propose a wa
y out of it…

http://twitter.com/terrymichiel TerryNichielClark

all.they.have.are.rude.africians.working.there!

Lola

Um I never saw a recommendation for “shutting it down” rather changing the way they operate where in addition to the two million retail jobs, we keep the hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs that the company has in China, basically they are suggesting that the manufacturing be done here, but because the business end of Walmart wants to make a huge profit they use cheap labor in other countries rather than employing and paying for labor in the U.S.

And you can’t justify a negative with another negative, so saying that all the electronics we use are also manufactured in other countries doesn’t do much for your argument.

jenifer divine

fact: Walmart HAS destroyed many thousands of American small businesses (if you don’t believe me, just drive down any Small Town, USA Main Street) and 100’s of thousands of jobs; they are extremely predatory- but America gets just what its greedy, complacent, obese behinds deserve- cheap crap & barely minimum-wage jobs at the expense of good jobs, manufacturing base, etc, etc etc… but its not MY problem- i have moved away from America, and NEWS FLASH: all those decent- paying jobs & small businesses you’ve lost thanks to WalMart & others selling cheap outsourced junk are NOT coming back- WalMart is a BIG part of the problem, as well as ruthless venture capitalists such as Bain Capital, et al,,, your argument about “home entertainment products” is disingenuous (look up the word- if you even own a dictionary, Fred) and specious (again, look it up) the REAL unemployment rate in the USA(including those who have run out of unemployment insurance, and have been dropped from the jobless figures, as well as those “under-employed”) is actually around 20%; i live in a country (Thailand)where we manufacture & produce MUCH more than we import, and our unemployment rate here is less than 3% -you may look it up (but you won’t, i’m quite sure)Walmart & its ilk are an abomination that is destroying you all… and thanks to your endless quest to consume more & more cheap junk & unwholesome foods -you all are on an irreversible downward spiral (no matter who you think you will “vote” for- hahaha)you’ve all made your bed, now you must LIE in it… so sorry…

Texas Realist

You laugh at the downward spiral of America?!?! I don’t recall ever seeing your glorious Thailand at the top of the list for world economic powers. America considers you a third-world country. Ha! So rub your low unemployment rate in our faces but I am an American and the unemployment rate in our area is less than 4%…. so where on earth did you get 20%?! We don’t work for pennies like you guys do. We get a lot of products from Thailand, you manufacture the goods for our American companies. Good job. you work for us and help us keep our prices low. More money in our pockets! I have NEVER heard of our national unemployment rate being 20% beside the great depression in the 1930’s. And we were better off than you were then too. Talk crap about a country that couldn’t blow yours off the face of the Earth in seconds.

eve

The HuffPo reports that the six heirs to the Walmart fortune are worth as much as nearly half of all American households.

I totally agree with Fred’s post on 7/17!!! The only thing that shocked me was that most of the facts listed are great achievements, but instead of being praised, they are vilified. When did mediocrity, or worse – government dependence, become the American standard?? All you lazy, gimme-gimme, chip on your shoulder Socialists need to get off your butts and start taking responsibility for your own lives. I have no problem helping someone who is busting their butt to make ends meet, but I will not willingly support leeches! STOP looking to others & government for entitlements. We all have equal opportunity; however we are not all equal, nor should we be. Different talents = different potentials. Figure out your own skill/knowledge set and use it to achieve your dream. That’s the difference between you and those that have EARNED success. They figured it out. What is stopping you??

john

i have never understood how people could believe in this type of logic. basically what you are saying is that the only reason that people get stuck working at low paying jobs (like at wal-mart), is because they are simply not trying hard enough.

so if everybody just worked hard enough then nobody would have to work at a place like wal-mart. nobody would have to flip burgers at mcdonalds. nobody would have to clean toilets, etc… is that what you are saying?????

orange

Hey Heather, you think this only happens to lazy, stupid people? Why not talk to the scientists and other STEM workers that are losing their jobs to foreigners on H1B visas? Or the nurses and doctors that are being replaced by Filipinos and Indians? I guess those people are just lazy and greedy because they want a living wage so they can feed their families and pay off their college debt, right? Everyone should have to suck it up and take the scraps from the tables of the elite? Well honey, you’ll be right there in the mud with the rest of the serfs soon enough, don’t think that you’re somehow special and immune to it, because you aren’t. And I fervently hope that when your time comes, people show you the exact same compassion and concern that you’ve shown to us. You should be ashamed of yourself, you’re disgusting.

Athena

Hallelujah, Orange!

jenifer divine

you are, frankly, an idiot…

jenifer divine

i think others have called it like it is- anybody who thinks that Walmart is good & hasn’t destroyed small-town America just hasn’t been paying attention-

http://SurvivalWeek Heather

Another thing, why is it bad that Wal-Mart provides quality products at low prices and jobs for so many people? Did Wal-Mart force anyone to buy those products? Did Wal-Mart force anyone to get a job their?? NO!! Wal-Mart did not force anyone to go on welfare or Medicaid; it put money in their pocket. Wal-Mart did not put anyone out of business, the people who shopped their did, because instead of buying someone else’s less desirable product (for whatever reason), they bought Wal-Mart products!

No walmart in my county and nearly an hour drive to the nearest one. I been there a few times and have found I can buy anything Wally’s has cheaper at my neighborhood Family Dollar or Dollar General store. We also got an Ace hardware, Pro Hardware, True Value, 3 auto parts stores, a host of convenience stores, fast food joints, and an outlet mall. I don’t need no Wally’s. I don’t like no Wally’s.

dave nacinovich

First of all let me start out by saying that Wal-Mart SUCKS. I have watched it take my town from a town that had a decent amount of small buisnesses to a town of NOTHING-and now they are going to build a SUPER WAL-MART so that they can take all of the grocery stores, mechanic and tire shops down too. Anyone that shops at that worthless cur of a store should be deported-especially if you are driving anything worth over $500.00-I see people going to my local Wal-Mart in Mercedes Benzs and BMW’s. These people are the greediest and most worthless scum on the face of this planet because they want to make all the bucks and pay nothing for anything that they have to buy. Give it some time and we ALL are going to be employees of this rotten institution and most of the people of this country have nobody to blame but themselves for letting them get away with it for so long. In closing-every now and then look for that Made In The U.S.A. tag and dont be afraid to spend a little more at a store that is not Wal-Mart. It just might help you out some day when you are forced to look for a job at the only employer left in this country-oh and by the way-they usually offer NO benefits of ANY kind.
Dave Nacinovich
Franklin, NJ

Breezy

Wal-mart has started getting more
American based products but who knows what goes on behind closed
doors. I agree with you fully. I am one of those nicer looking
shoppers that mindlessly shops at the devils monitor and pit-stop. I
do not make bit $$$ in fact I am lucky to be with a loving family…
We stick together in times like these. Now on to my point. Wal-mart
is one of the many ways to watch, cattle, control, and listen in on
many of the people that think they are hidden. Gotta keep track on
the masses some how. Just like facebook. Wal-mart is the feeding
troff of whats going to become the worlds biggest global communist
joining together. Get ready to ask nicely and kiss the 1,000$ shoes
of the new world order. Money now runs the minds and souls of en
lighted minds and noble souls. It corrupted leaders into God-wannabe
kings. They care nothing more then to acquire their fancy at the
moment. Theres nothing we can do but keep our bibles close and pray
we can not let them break us!!!!

Jack Smith

Wal-Mart is not getting more American made stuff. That is a complete and total lie. They said they plan on buying 50 billion dollars worth of American made goods over the next 10 years. Those good are FOOD! Most food is currently all made in the USA. Wal-mart is changing that though. In fact wal-mart is starting to import more and more chinese grown food every single year. They put up a facade of they support the USA and want to buy usa products. They could care less about America or the jobs. If that was so they would be paying their workers a starting wage of at least $15.00 an hour. I know these are “low skilled job” but just because people have low skilled jobs–I HATE THAT TERM BTW– doesn’t mean they have to freaking starve to death! Everyone should be making at least $15.00 an hour.

I know college graduates that are VERY against increasing the minimum wage to a living wage because they are starting out making $15.00 an hour when they should have started out making 25-35 an hour. They would have 30 years ago. Most college graduates back then started of making $100,000 a year on average–in today’s money. As the bottom rung of workers incomes fell that also drug down the college graduates starting wages. Those that don’t want a iminum wage increase because it would imede on their wages do not get it. With minimum wage going higher, it would force employers to raise the starting pay of most college graduates. What company wants to be known as the company thats starts it’s college grads out at minimum wage? NONE!

CJ MACINTOSH

If we paid everybody $15 a hour like you want , what do you think the price of everything going to do ? First you have to get rid of some of your employes to cut cost ( so if your a slacker at work you will be the first to go ) ( the ones that do get to stay and get a raise will have to work like they have never worked before to keep there job ) , that really going to help things , then the price of everything starts to rise !

Srszee

I totally agree. I hate Walmart. I bought some apple juice there a few months ago–store brand. Didn’t really look at the label until a few days later to see that it was made from apple concentrate from CHINA!! Seriously? Like we don’t grow enough apples in this country?

beckyF

Even the “fresh” apples in the produce section are from China!!!

Philip

Well said. This article really got me thinking about Walmart.I am going to stop 70% of my shopping at Walmart.

ginnie

I live in KW. Walmart wants to come and destroy our beautiful community. Walmart has started hate in our community. People here do not know the bait and switch tactics Walmart uses.. They think Walmart is going to save them from poverty. Really sad how walmart is more important than the environment around here. I was going to fight it maybe find a water park to put in but the abuse I get is not worth the battle. Thank goodness I live 30 miles up the road from KW. I don’t have to go there to shop. I will go the other direction and spend at those small business. Weird how folks want the small business to employ them but those employees don’t want to spend their money at the small business. THey want to go to Walmart. Really sad how naive people are. I heard Walmart is waving tons of money around the developers nose and the county can’t stop it apparently. I will make a call to a water park anyhow. I think it’s to late. the preliminary plans have already been passed.

Sam Neal

Wal-Mart isn’t neccesarily the problem. Buy American first is the answer. That includes our goverment as well. When we take the patriotic stance and do that many of our country’s economic problems would be solved.

http://www.facebook.com/bdholtzman Barbara D Holtzman

Ridiculous minimum wage is also a problem. Adjusted for inflation, it should be $13.50, more in big cities. That two people working full time can’t support a family of four should say something.

Austin

Walmart has its plus and minuses, however the proliferation of them in the last 15 years or so has caused many independent and small chains to go out of business…yes, that can be considered progress. However, the wages of these big-box stores are so low they are not what can be considered a “living wage”—also, most of the jobs offered by Wal-mart, etc, are very low to no skill types of jobs, with little to no opportunity for advancement. Thirty or 40 years ago one could own or run a small general store, or some other kind of shop and make enough money to live modestly but independently. Even working in such a store required multiple skills such as light book-keeping, inventory, etc. which in Wal-mart, etc is not the case as “clerks” are shown how to just operate the cash register, mop the floor, push carriages and little else…there is little opportunity to learn new skills in these places.

Also, walmarts, etc. will open a store within just miles of another and then cut down the workforce to a bare-bones crew so one will stand in line longer, just so the company saves a little money on a few $7 and hour workers. We pay higher taxes to fund welfare programs to many of these workers and their children…for small and rural towns the effects can be especially noticeable and detrimental to a small economy.
Even when farms are abundant nearby, Walmarts often truck in produce from elsewhere. Little is given back to the communities. Then there are all of those abandoned stores, just sitting there rusting away after a new location is opened 5 miles up the road.

orange

I’m not close to a Wal-Mart but even when I’m in town I rarely shop there. When I do, I ONLY buy American products. They do sell them, you just have to look and you have to be willing to put back items that you might really want. The last time I shopped there was probably two months ago, and I bought 5 things, all made in the USA. I usually do my shopping at Dollar General and I rarely buy anything foreign-made there either (I usually buy my cleaning supplies, some food, etc).

When I go to the grocery store I don’t buy foreign items if American is available, there are some exceptions like bananas which are not grown in the US. Most of my produce I buy at a local stand. The owner knows exactly where her produce comes from, most local and I enjoy supporting a small business. I often get a good deal because I’m a regular customer.

I don’t usually buy clothes new, but if I do I go online and search for “Made in the USA” items and buy American. Sometimes you can find US-made items in places like Ross, I got a pair of US-made pants there not too long ago. You just have to be willing to put items back if they aren’t made here. I’m a much more conscientious consumer now, and I save a lot of money because it’s not always easy to find US-made items. I can afford them because I save so much money by not buying stuff I want (but don’t need) constantly. I have less crap cluttering my house and the things I do have I take better care of. I estimate that 90% of the things I buy are made in the US, so it can be done, you just have to be smart about it! I also fix things instead of just throwing them away, and I buy a lot of stuff used (thrift and consignment stores are usually American-owned and Goodwill, etc help needy Americans). Oh, and both my cars are American, as well.

I love my country and I will do whatever I can to support American manufacturing. A few years ago I drove from my small Gulf Coast town to VA and I saw all the factories closed and boarded up. The only new construction I saw were hospitals, often in really rural areas with nothing…except for a fancy new hospital, and maybe a Wal-Mart. It was heartbreaking and made me realize that we are in deep, DEEP trouble if we don’t wake up and do something. I can’t do a lot but I certainly can be a conscientious consumer and I implore everyone to do the same. If you don’t the only people you’re hurting are yourselves and your fellow citizens. We need to work together and put America first, I’m sick of people going overseas to do missionary work when we have needy and poor right here in our own backyards! Go to Appalachia, come down to the Gulf Coast, heck, go ANYWHERE and help your own before you try and help the world!

Sorry for the super long post but buying American is my “thing”, the thing that I can’t shut up about because it means so much to me. God bless America!

http://twitter.com/terrymichiel TerryNichielClark

i.dont.shop.there.cause.africians.work.there..NASTY!

Educated One

racist

suzyb

oh was that supposed to be funny or something?

Brenda Norris

Racist. And a lousy speller too.

Leslie

Hey Micheal,
We love the article, and we are using it for our Economics course. However, we are hoping that you would be willing to provide us with your Full name so that we can properly cite the reference in APA6 format. Thank you.

Michael

Leslie:

My full name is “Michael Snyder”

Michael

gunjan

indian government just announced 51% fdi for wall mart i dont know wheather it will be good for india or not but one thing is sure that there will be lots of employement generation in the country although some political parties opposing it.

johnny

Please buy everything from walmart, it will help the conservatives who run it give more money to Romney.

http://twitter.com/terrymichiel TerryNichielClark

why.are.all.minorities.racist..cant.you.go.to.church?

BigB

Americans are hypnotized and they don’t even know it :/

el grande4

ty

pavan

yeah, even indian government also announced the fdi’s with flexible policies into indian market. it may create lots of jobs for indian citizen…, but over a period of time india also going to be effected and SMEs would be closed as like as USA.Govt should be keen in implementing the polities for the sake of indians

http://becklar@msn.com Larry Beck

WELL FOLKS, HOW DO YOU LIKE WALMART NOW?????
AS I UNDERSTAND, THE WALMART CORPORATE MANAGEMENT IS
BACKING THE ROMMNEY/TOY BOY RYAN CAMPAIGN WITH LOTS OF MONEY
& THEY ARE GOING TO GET JOBS FOR THESE PEOPLE WHO WORK
FOR WALMART WHO CAN’T AFFORD TO WORK ANYWHERE ELSE>

“WAKE UP AMERICA & SEE WHAT WALMART IS DOING TO YOUR COUNTRY.>>

Robin C,

‘Having read most of the comments on this post, I did not see one which fundamentally addressed the basic reason why predatory retailers like Wal-Mart succeed in reducing their competition in this country.

In 19th century America, as the country was coming out of the setback of the Civil War, it nonetheless grew its economy in leaps and bounds by building its industries and employing American labor.

At that time, the US government assisted in helping America achieve and maintain a high standard of living for American workers by following the philosophy of what Abraham Lincoln did. Instead of importing steel rails for American railroads from Britain, Lincoln said it would make more sense to build them in the United States, and impose a tariff on all imported goods to keep the distinction that with tariffs maintained at water’s edge, no foreign company or American company off-shoring its labor abroad could make a better return on investment, because the import tariffs would protect American industries at home, and the healthy remuneration of American workers.

If America ever wishes to get back on its feet economically, it will have to repudiate American companies located abroad and their foreign-made goods — by slapping a tariff on their imports into this country. Think about it: — No American company has an obligation to be patriotic. Only the US government can maintain the markets in this country by upholding a higher standard of living than in most third-world countries where their labor is paid peanuts by comparison.

Again, only the US government can impose the necessary tariffs to bring prosperity back to this country. ‘Don’t want to talk about import tariffs on foreign-made goods for the American market? Then wait for the United States to economically collapse, aided and abetted by foreign-labor loving American owners as Wal-Mart epitomizes, who are about as patriotic to America as any foreign head of state — how about like North Korea? This is why protection of the country’s national interest lies with the US government, but not with private-sector commercial organizations, whose only need is to concern themselves with their bottom lines.

If the US government turns a blind eye towards foreign cheap labor and offers no protection of the American people who would only occupy domestic jobs, by having import tariffs on foreign-made goods — then the country will progressively lose all of its manufacturing base, as has been happening to America over three decades now.

The current situation of desperation during the economic depression we’ve arrived at is emblematic of benign neglect by the US Congress, which has obviously been taken over by fascism with large corporate bribes of payola.

Thus Congress has wholesale abandoned any semblance of faithfulness to former American principles of sovereignty and its once high standard of living, as was prior enjoyed as compared to the rest of the world. Kiss America goodbye; it’s over and done. You can stick a fork in it. :/

50one50

Well said.

Logical

Oh, and one reason Walmart out competes small retailers…they have sold items like milk at a loss…they have so much money they can drive out the competition by selling goods for a period of time at one store for a loss, while other stores that have already driven out the competition make $$$…

Having such a great price on milk for example also really draws people in…if you’re buying milk there anyways..why not do the rest of you shopping there? Why go through the hassle of going to multiple shops?

RC

Take Motts applesauce – every other grocery store by my house sells it for at least $1.50 more. That’s just one [American] item.
It’s about the same with everything else.
Sorry, we cannot AFFORD to buy groceries elsewhere until we make more money – and I won’t go into the problems with the job market!!!
FIX THAT FIRST then let them bag on Wallmart. :p lol

Sun Tzu

Milk, coffee, baby food, diapers, bananas, paper goods and about 100 other products are loss leaders at EVERY grocery store. Working at a grocery wholesales, I realized that smaller grocery stores bought many of these loss leaders from larger stores. The larger stores DID NOT get better pricing, they just prices the products below their cost as loss leaders to bait customers into coming into the stores. Walmart does it too.

Sun Tzu

There are many forces working at once to hurt America. Walmart is just one of them. The reason that they succeed, is they provide a better shopping experience, a better assortment of products, unique derivative skus, lower than average prices, acceptable service levels, and safe comfortable and prolific locations. They have fast food, clean restrooms, 7 day a week banking, and almost everything you need to survive. (except transportation)

Alexa

Pick up a copy of Adbusters magazine and read ISHMAEL to help save the world.

recently our indian goverment approved 51% fdi in retail,,i was very happy earlier as because sumthing new is comin,,,now after reading this article i am a bit concerned

Court ordered poverty

Good for china… God bless china all the clothes I wear come from china&my shoes… God bless china…death 2america when America dies maybe I will have a chance at life..because this America is trying2kill meCOURT ORDERED POVERTY4me..child supportiskillingme.. My kid is 31years old &i owe more now than ever b4..god curse this pice ofS..T America Death 2AMERICA so we can live…..907-769 1345..

leanier carter

I do not shop at Walmart for that same reason, I saw this coming a long time ago, I am a union carpenter since 1969 and we know that when non-union contractors come into an area with low wage workers it makes it worse off for all union members and their long and hard fought wage standards, this is what Wal-mart is doing on a Global scale. They are devouring the American middle class and enslaving workers of the World.

ken

They succeed through perpetuation of an uninterrupted cycle of poverty. The poor in China produce goods as slaves and recieve nothing but what is necessary to keep themselves healthy enough to continue working as slaves this happens because of the absense of the civil laws in China. Walmart pays its employees what the laws of our country says it must and people except this wage because due outsourcing American jobs to China they take what work is left and that my friends is retail because our manufacturing jobs are gone. Manufacturing is the heart of our economy and we cant survive without a heart. CEO s take thier immense salaries while our children starve, it is legalized slavery as our dollar become less valueable each month what relevance will our minimum wage have when the value of american currency is spiralling slowly down ward each year. My advice, learn Chinese and get ready for an America Chinese merger as our leaders are sure to make slaves of us all as Constitution is erased one line at a time.

D.W.

The last time I went into a Walmart was in 2009, for some Christmas decorations and batteries. I remember going in once in 2008 for Christmas decorations, and once in 2007. Even in that department, they are going downhill.
Once upon a time, I used to shop there frequently. However, once I got a computer in 2006, I phased that out since I could access better things online. I got clothing at a high-quality place. They also sell camping gear, furniture, and other items I used to get at Walmart. Yes, the prices are higher. However, the quality is so much better that, in the end, the prices per year of use is actually lower. And things work so much better.
I have found online places for so many other products, too. Everything from light bulbs (I now buy LED’s) to batteries (including rechargeable batteries and chargers), Christmas decorations, water filters, cookware, and virtually everything else, now comes either from these sources or another grocery store. Generally, the prices are higher front-end. However, by buying premium LED flashlights online at higher prices, I save money on replacing batteries plus the aggravation of having the light flicker as the battery starts to run down. Better chargers and batteries means that, instead of a panic trip to Walmart for a windstorm, I slap in high-self-discharge batteries in the chargers (with low self-discharge batteries already charged). If we get a blackout, the high self-discharge batteries are first to be used, then the low-self discharge. Try that with Walmart crap.
This has nothing to do with keeping jobs in America. It has everything to do with that I am tired of having things last a month or less only to break. I would rather pay double or triple, once, for a durable product than pay a lower price 5 or more times plus waste time replacing it. It is about value–to me, top quality at full price is a solid value, where crap at a discount is a lousy value.
As for buying the “food(??)” at Walmart, most of it is poison. Between the high fructose corn syrup drinks and the monosodium glutamate and/or aspartame in their “food(??)”, I would rather shop elsewhere. I shop at a high-rated supermarket that is slightly higher in price but sharply higher in quality. Again, I believe top quality at full price is the better value.

fact

i have started to buy from local farmers markets and trust me the quality is much better

fact

this article has been quiet informative,

TANIA

When I was 19, fresh out of school, I had an interview at Walmart for a job. I am proud to say that Walmart is the only interview I have ever walked out of. It was my second interview as well. They asked me if I believe that these days everyone does pot. I did not see how it related to the job. I said, that if people do, it was non of my business and then I thanked them and said this job doesn’t look like it would be for me. They probably thought I did pot. Truth is, at that point, I had never tried pot until a few years later. It didn’t matter, they asked my political views as well. Things I thought was too personal and doesn’t relate to scanning items or cleaning. All they needed to know was I polite and am I physically fit, and I was, then I could do the job. Either way, best thing ever, that I walked out of an interview.

David P from Houston

I shop at walmart ONLY as a last resort. Other than that I do not step foot into the traitorous place. Yes I called the Corp. traitors considering what they are doing to this country.

David P from Houston

I am actually sending this link to all my facebook friend and printed some to hand out.

I decided years ago that if they could “roll back” their prices for a while, they could have sold them for the lower price all along. I quit shopping there then. I will continue to refuse to shop there. My husband kept shopping there for a while, but even he, now, sees what I was saying was true. We’d rather support our neighbors.

http://www.facebook.com/richard.wilson.7334 Richard Wilson

how can a company so bad be so popular? simple price people don’t care about how or where things come as long as the price is right.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=721830552 Lisa Johnstone

Sadly true for a lot of people.

Mark

The first statement is a tad misleading. America does not absolutely love Walmart. Many people shop there but I see & hear of more & more that don’t. Walmart is not always 100% at fault for driving small businesses under. Some of that has to do with customer loyalty. A new Walmart supercenter went up about 5 years ago in my former town in Ohio and it has not hurt the local Meijer’s or the home grown grocery stores one bit. The local stores gave me excellent personal customer service & without the long lines & I gladly pay a few dollars more–anytime!

Seante

they’re cropping up everywhere in San Antonio! I swore I would never work for them…or Kmart…again! as I know that they turn and burn employees right before they have worked there 3 months. And its obvious that it doesn’t hurt them a bit….although most employees that do work there are only part time so it exempts walfart from having to give them any medical. I don’t shop there either…never will.

michigander

#11 The CEO of Wal-Mart makes more in a single hour than a full-time Wal-Mart associate makes in an entire year.

C. Douglas McMillon is the Wal-Mart CEO. His total compensation was 9.3 million dollars, 90% of which consisted of stock. Even still, do the math: if a work year consists of 2,000 hours, he was earning $4,658 per hour. Wal-Mart associates do at least three times better than that, and more if they own stock, as I believe many do. I have a feeling this isn’t the only inaccuracy.

I take one prescription medication, not covered by my insurance, which I buy at Wal-Mart and runs me about $153 each month. Competitors in town are all higher, most considerably higher. Wal-Mart may not be my favorite store, but give credit where it’s due: they are an amazing budget store.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=721830552 Lisa Johnstone

The point being made is still valid even if the math was not. Wages are kept low without reason. It isn’t as if this is a struggling business. There is no reason other than greed to pay the work force so poorly.

signjay

I have plenty of friends and relatives who are proud that they do all their shopping at Mal Wart, and simultaneously curse the few remaining businesses on Main Street because they are having to close their doors, or that their prices are just a bit higher. When was the last time they shopped at the local grocery store that’s been there 100 years? Or, the hardware store or the local garage? It’s mass hypnosis. Religion is not the opiate of the people, it’s so called “free market capitalism”. I’m proud to say I haven’t set foot in the regional Mal Wart here, ever!

mikefly562

I REFUSE to shop at Wal-Mart….there are three companies in this world that I hate so much….1) Monsanto, 2) De Beers, and 3) Walmart. I feel bad for the workers and I’d hate to see anyone loose their jobs, but I hope someday walmart crashes and fails and goes out of business.

Mark Jackson

I hope they don’t. I liked the 18% dividend increase at the beginning of this year, and I’m looking forward to another one this Christmas-time.

Like you, though, I wouldn’t shop there. If I still lived in the USA, I’d stick to Harris-Teeter and Amazon.

Stewknod

Walmart and other large orporatons are doing so much harm to the US that they need to be considered a domestic enemy. The constitution requires the federal government to protect us from enemies foreign and domestic. Time for walmart to go.

50one50

Great
article. But, Wal-Mart is a mere symptom of the now malignant disease that has metastasized and is now killing America. PEOPLE created the conditions for this disease to fester. People deregulated Wall Street in the form of the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act repealing Glass–Steagall creating the conditions for the same corporations their parents broke up to once again become monopolies and destroy the only hope The Forgotten Man HAD – Unions. What’s destroying America is the Crony-Capitalist
CONDITIONS that says corporations are people, the political brinkmanship
that allows one house of Congress to hold the entire country hostage if
they don’t get their way, the conditions that are forcing people to
mortgage their entire future to attend college, that’s if they are
fortunate enough to make it that far to begin with, and the ubiquitous poverty that
leads people to a Groupon or a Wal-Mart in the first place. # UR2nearMEnot2hearME

Independent Tom

Americans have a choice, they can either support America by paying more at local mom and pop retailers or they can support China by paying less at Walmart and other big-box outlets. It does not get any simpler than that.

Sam Ramirez

If they would start selling all American they would be very good for America and the economy.

And also one reason wall mart is so successful is no one will step up to the plate and compete with them. Wal-Mart has many issues and could be competed with, if some one would step up to the plate and do it. If Meijer came to NC wal-mart would probably lose all of my business, and many others would probably defect also

dennis

they are low pay, crappy insurance,and treat their workers like dirt! but it’s a job and people take what they can get.

Brenda Norris

Sam Walton must be turning in his grave.

Shops Locally

Sam Walton would be turning in his grave right now. He was all about giving back to the community not lying to them and keeping all for the “higher ups”, I am ashamed of this change since his passing. That means a lot coming from someone who lived in the area of the start of Wal Mart.

curmudgeon

Where will union members and their families shop if the are successful and drive them out of business. I can’t visualize the union FAT CATS like Hoffa Jr. and Trumka joining together and risking their hard earned wealth in trying to create jobs and provide the downtrodden with free health care.

Logical

I grew up in WI, there we had a medical insurance program called Badger Care for people that worked full time jobs but couldn’t afford health insurance. It was standard Walmart policy to hand their applicants Badger Care applications when they got hired. Thus, Walmart was using our taxpayer dollars to give their low paid workers health insurance.

There are so many things I don’t understand about even having trade at all with China…we have an embargo against Cuba right? We sent our young men to Vietnam to fight communism…right? But we allow our business to use child labor and horrible working conditions to make their good in China and so long as it doesn’t happen here it’s ok?

I say make China play by at least the bare minimum rules that we have here in the USA and see who can make the better product.

God Bless America…we’re gonna need it.

Thommy Bannan

I do not and will not ever shop at Walmart

FrauG99

I refuse to shop at Walmart or Sam’s Club. I patronize Target.
KMart, dollar general, big lots and locally owned grocery stores. As I live in an suburban area, this is easier for me than for someone in a rural area, where walmart may be the only store.

Mark Dewdney

Great! So what are you going to do about it?

e2657383

I love Wal-Mart!

Stewart Pepper

I guess I’m having a problem with the article’s problem. They say Walmart has destroyed tens of thousands of jobs. Then they say Walmart employs over 2 million people and is the biggest employer in 25 states. Seems like a net win for the country to me. I think I’ll keep supporting my state’s largest employer.

Wendy DeSimone Moritz

In defense of Walmart (did I say that?), they give plenty to the communities they live in and I mean plenty. Their pay is comparable to any other retail establishment, actually better than most. Where I live, there is a Grocery store right across the street and they do great, within 5 mi, there’s another one and they do great. There are many mom and pop businesses still existing and surviving quite nicely, bc they chose to diversify. Walmart may be big, but they don’t offer everything. I don’t know anyone who works for walmart that is on welfare. Here’s the truth, we all let it happen years ago, bc we didn’t want to pay the prices for American made, produced by union workers, so Walmart took advantage of our cheap nature wanting more for less. It’s all about saving money for us, so why shouldn’t it be for them. Do i agree with everything they do, no, but no corporation is perfect. I’d worry more about what the government is doing and Monsanto is doing than I would Walmart.

RC

That’s the nature of business though. What happened to entire pay phone industry when cell phones came out? Hundreds of thousands of private pay phone companies/small bus. owners went out business.

What happened when cell phones came out? The Pagers went obsolete…. that’s what business does naturally.

What happened to all the Video stores when Digital came into the picture? Blockbuster & the rest went obsolete. People hardly buy CD’s anymore, all the Record Town stores folded up and went BK.
That’s how business works people! It’s not pretty when you’re the one losing but since the money is going to someone else, the “economy” isn’t being ruined – money is being SHIFTED to another business.

And those smaller businesses DID sell Chinese/ 3rd world products as well. This article acts as if they all sold American products only.

Competition is important too. It keeps prices down and [usually] gives us better services & selection.
In my opinion, alot of the small businesses were charging too much for their products & services.

I’m not necessarily “promoting” Wallmart, but I am pointing out that businesses ALWAYS compete with one another and the wiser company ends up wiping competition out. That’s the nature of business itself.
Some win, some lose.
Society shifts economically as things change.

I don’t buy into the entire scare tactic of this article.

Aleuicius

There is so much more to the economic story of Wal-Mart than “who lost and who won”. For all I might spend at Wal-Mart, I spend easily twice as much at other local businesses and chains, simply because Wal-Mart does not carry everything I might need, or necessarily the quality I might want. Still – I shop for the least expensive and those stores that cannot meet THAT requirement don’t get business. It is less that they buy overseas, than that America – especially the unionized part – cannot/WILL not compete, except to use gov’t power to get their way. THIS is why Wal-Mart is successful.

Srszee

I hate Walmart. They used to pride themselves in carrying products made in the USA (at least when Sam Walton was at the helm). Now they strong-arm companies like Rubbermaid into contracts whereby Rubbermaid almost went out of business if they lost the Walmart acct; and everything comes from China where there is no quality control. Cancer is on the rise in this country–take a look at all the crap in our food coming from China. Walmart succeeds because they cater to the poor. They also treat and pay their employees like crap.

Shaney

Because people want cheap over quality and don’t care. It’s a shame Walmart doesn’t offer health insurance for their workers. Most of them are on some kind of government programs while Walmart makes billions.

Heather

They do offer health insurance for people who work full time.

Shaney

We all complain about Walmart but who would actually stop shopping there to prove the point? I stopped shopping Walmart a long time ago because of the way they treat their employees.

Prairie Kittin

They did not pay my sister enough money to pay healthcare costs. They also did not offer health insurance. She is dead now. I will never step into a Wal-Mart again. For me and my family, it’s personal.

Zachary Taffurelli

where is your work cited?

Titania

USA produced first class of everything, now imported cheap rubbish has taken over. Everything deteriorates in a country when people lose their skills because manufacturing disappears due to cheap imports. The foreign power in American politics and Government has destroyed USA. It has started with waging wars against many countries to the benefit of plutocracy and oligarchy.

Merit Weidman Kirkpatrick

Items made overseas are sold at most stores- even high end stores like “Coach” sell products that are made in China- this is not the fault of the retailer, as much as it is the fault of more government intervention in trade. Many of us warned about the economic consequences in the 90’s when China was first given “favored nation” status by the USA.

Jane LaRocque

How can Tavis Smiley permit Walmart to advertize on his show. They pay slave wages and do not care one little bit about the children of their workers. They are selfish, cruel billionaires living in gated communities. I do not shop there, and although I like Tavis, I do not watch his show. Because I have to look at Walmart striving to project a caring image–and it makes me vomit.

Sojo

I do not shop at Wal-Mart stores, the parking lots are congested, the service is terrible, the cashier lines are long, most of the employees have more tattoos than teeth, and are barley holding a GED. they are rude and they have no knowledge of the products the store carries and there is not order. Try finding a manager or someone who speaks English with a broken accent is also a challenge. I remember when they first opened, I thought it would be nice to have this kind of store near by, closer than the Target which was 32 miles away…I’d rather make the drive to Target. I don’t shop at Target that much either, but I will NEVER shop at another Wal-Mart store.

Blake

I work at Walmart and amazingly hold a full time posiition. Unfortunately it does not pay well enough so I can save enough to move out of my parent’s house. I have nothing to my name. Next year their payroll deductions + federal tax will be high enough I will be living paycheck to paycheck under my parent’s roof!

PS Walmart advocated for Obamacare and spent millions to make sure the Government forces it into law, and now they don’t want to enforce it.

flor

For all what I have read here, we need to closed all wal-marts. And don’t give any help to anybody who work in Wal Mart in that way they will have to raise the salaries for their employees. The US. goverment have to put a plan to open cooperatives at low cost intermediately to in-root the buyers to american stores. We need to act now, but that is a job of the government that is the one who let this enemies attack our security in a different way, not only the wars are made with guns. Like in Irak after 15 years we loss the war and life’s. China put us to eat in their hands and is wining the war and less time and with a big gain. where is the Harvard University that doesn’t wake up their students and alert the politicians? Who talk us that communist is going to give us something? or the capitalist is going to take us out of poverty? No way Jose! We need to think better and different way to safe our families. But becareful if you keeping buing groceries there you cold be find your self aeting rats, dogs, etc.

flor

For all what I have read here, we need to close all Wal-marts.
And don’t give any help to anybody who work in Wal Mart in that way they will
have to raise the salaries for their employees. The government of US. have to
put a plan to open cooperatives at low cost immediately to in-root the buyers
to American stores. We need to act now, but that is a job of the government
that is the one who let this enemy’s attack our security in a different way,
not only the wars are made with guns. Like in Iraq after 15 years we lost the
war and lives. China put us to eat in their hands and is winning the war and
less time and with a big gain. Where is the Harvard University that doesn’t
wake up their students and alert the politicians? Who talk us that communist is
going to give us something? or the capitalist is going to take us out of
poverty? No way Jose! We need to think better and different way to safe our
families. But be careful if you keeping buying groceries there, you could be finding
your self eating rats, dogs, etc.

Dan

it is clear, just buy stock in W M.
W M is pure capitalism, while mom and pop were great, that system is now in the dust bin of history, get used to it.

mac

Cr-p look at any of the competition, where are most of there products from overseas. Living on the West Coast of Canada even before Wal-Mart came West there were many products then were from overseas. So it was being done by many long before Wal-Mart.

Bill Ratliff

I completly agree. Although i come from a upper middle class family, i want to see the us, or even the red cross destroying walmart for crimes against humanity. because that is exacly what they have done. i want to see them explode, burn in a flame, just as they did to us.

Joseph

I will never shop at wal-mart again.The owners are rude and do not care about people.They only care about the almighty dollar they make from american people who do not know anything about them.For instance,I was shopping there last week and got stabbed in my thumb.I needed medical care and I had to pay my own medical bills because they said they were not liable for my injury.I went into the store unharmed and left with a bleeding stab wound.I am taking anti-biotics in hope that it will heal because I am on my own with no medical help.I know people will continue to shop there,but I will not.I also found worms in frozen catfish and canned soup.I think its worth paying a little more to get food that we can eat and not having to fear another injury or worse.

John Kremer

I say Walmart should be the next place for a mass killing or total destruction of the store but American insurance probably insure them.

Bob

Wal-Mart is awesome! There should be one on every corner!!!

I was there…

After reading this list, I googled info on the Iowa study. As I read through some of the articles, I kept thinking “but that’s not what happened”. I grew up in a small NW Iowa town of 5000. When I was a child in the 70’s, we all did the bulk of our shopping in the small towns around our hometown. By the time I was a teenager in the 80’s, all of our shopping habits had drastically changed. Yes, some towns in the area got Walmarts (20-30 miles away) but we didn’t go to them on a regular basis–only when we happened to be in that town anyway for a different purpose. What REALLY affected our shopping habits was the building of big malls in Sioux City, IA and Sioux Falls, SD, as well as all of the big box stores that grew up around them. All of a sudden everyone regularly drove 75 miles to go to these cities (or at least we all thought of them as “cities” compared to our rinky dinky home towns). We shopped there because there was SO much more choice, and at cheaper prices, than in the small towns. We also had attitudes about “Walmart clothes”–nobody wanted to be caught dead wearing something from Walmart, at least not as a teenager (we had the same attitude about K-mart, too). We actually had to drive right past a Walmart in a town about halfway on our way to Sioux City–we never stopped there.
I know my experience is basically what all of us in the area experienced. I have a deep gut feeling that the whole Walmart theory behind the decline of small towns in Iowa may be somewhat of a straw man.

nococidences

We have Hillary Clinton and her husband Bill to thank for it all, destruction of small businesses, lost of 133,000 manufacturing jobs in the 2000’s, Wal-Mart employees are a burden to our States welfare systems in spire of their enormous corporate wealth. She would destroy the American economy in no time and here is all the proof you need. Small business advocate, my foot. Small business destroyer, 100 percent. Hillary has destroyed more small towns and their businesses than any Hurricane, tornado, or natural disaster in America ever could. Fox for President 2016.

nococidences

Hillary for President, this is her handy work if you want more of the same, she is willing and ready to supply more of this. Think about it, she helped Walmart steal 133,000 manufacturing jobs from Americans at an average of 32,000 each. Yet we still have to supplement Walmart employee salaries with welfare, food stamps and medicaide. Walmart refuses to even pay their own employees although they are the largest company in the world. General Motors would never do that. Do you see what I see?. They crate nothing but a embezzlement chain from the American public. Hillary and Bill are real good at that. The treason and genocide they allowed my immigrant husband to get away with makes this pale in comparison

nococidences

Good thing Wal-Mart is racist. Inner-city commerce is still safe from these Hillary sponsored corporate welfare embezzlers.